Readercon CBS Meetup

Hey Carl Brandonites!

CBS will be having an official dinner at Readercon!

WHEN: Saturday, 6 - 7 pm (during the dinner break)
WHERE: Summer Winter (the hotel restaurant)
HOW: Please RSVP below in comments. I need a sense of how many people will be coming.
WHO: Anyone interested in finding out more about becoming a member of the Carl Brandon Society!

If you see me (Claire) in the halls, just grab me and ask! Looking forward to seeing some of you on Saturday!

FOGcon PoC Meet Ups

Hi Everybody!

For those of you planning on attending FOGcon in San Francisco this weekend, Oyceter has organized two PoC meet-ups. Some Carl Brandonites will be there (although this isn't a CBS event). Here's the data. Hope to see some of you there!

CBS Bay Area Wiki Party!

Hi all CBS members and wannabe members in the San Francisco Bay Area!

Please join us for our first ever CBS Wiki Party this Wednesday, March 2. Info is below. Please RSVP via Facebook, or in comments below. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

-- Claire

*****
Wednesday, March 2 · 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Mission Creek Cafe
968 Valencia St (between 21st St & Liberty St)
San Francisco, CA

WHO: All members of the Carl Brandon Society (or folks who are interested in becoming members) who are in the San Francisco Bay Area at the time.

WHAT: Let's hang out and fill in some of the articles on CBS's wiki!

WHAT TO BRING:
1. Bring your laptop! (There IS wifi at Mission Creek!)
2. Bring information (this can be in your head or you can find it on the internet) about a writer of color (or an sf work by a writer of color or an sf work that deals with race and ethnicity) that you can put into a wiki article.
3. Bring your checkbook (you can sign up for or renew your membership here!)
4. Bring your squee (because why meet up with other fans if you don't?)

WHY:
1. CBS's wiki could be a great resource but we need to start filling it in. It'll be much more fun if we do it together!
2. The Bay Area's fen of color and allies really need to start getting together on a regular basis.
3. Fogcon will be happening the following weekend, so let's get revved up for it!
4. Squeeeeeeeeee!!!
5. Do we really need a reason?

MORE INFO: http://carlbrandon.org/
http://www.carlbrandon.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

Carl Brandon Awards Given at Arisia 2011

From left to right: Cecilia Tan, Vandana Singh, Andrea Hairston, Tananarive Due. Photo by Sitara Chapman.

The Carl Brandon Society awards for 2008 and 2009 were given this past weekend at Arisia 2011:

2008:

• Vandana Singh’s novel Distances won the Carl Brandon Parallax Award.
• Tananarive Due’s short story “Ghost Summer” won the Carl Brandon Kindred Award.

2009:

• Hiromi Goto’s novel Half World won the Carl Brandon Parallax Award.
• Justine Larbalestier’s novel Liar won the Carl Brandon Kindred Award.

The Carl Brandon Society Parallax Award recognizes an outstanding work of speculative fiction by a writer of color. The Carl Brandon Society Kindred Award recognizes an outstanding work of speculative fiction dealing with race/ethnicity. Each award includes a US$1000 prize. Previous winners include Walter Mosley, Susan Vaught, Andrea Hairston, Nnedi Okorafor, and Minister Faust. A complete list of Parallax and Kindred Award winners’ works is available at http://carlbrandon.org/awards.

Tananarive Due and Vandana Singh received their awards in person at the ceremony. Andrea Hairston accepted the award for Hiromi Goto and Cecilia Tan accepted the award for Justine Larbalestier.

Nominations for 2010 awards are open through February 28, 2011. Visit the awards page at carlbrandon.org for more information. You can also donate to support the awards at carlbrandon.org.

Fundraising Tally, Big Thanks, And The Winners of the Butler Scholarship eReader Drawing

Last night the Drawing came to a close and now it's time to announce the winners of the 5 eReaders and the autographed Dark Matter anthology. But first, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who made this fundraiser successful.

We raised $4,520 from tickets sales and so far $490 in direct donations since the drawing began. We haven't even calculated all of the donations sent in via mail yet! Right now the total stands at $5,010, which is simply amazing. Our original goal was just $1,000. Once we blew past that in the first 4 days, we set our sights on raising $3,200, the price of a Clarion West tuition. Once we met that goal, our next was to raise $4,950, enough for a tuition to Clarion Diego. In the last 30 hours of the drawing we sold 799 tickets and blew past that goal, too. Thanks to those of you who bought tickets and donated we were able to exceed our goals time and again. We appreciate your participation and generosity so much. Thank you.

Next, a huge, huge thank you to Jenn Brissett. Without her we never would have been able to pull this drawing off. She did all the technical wizardry on the backend and when problems arose (and they did... oh they did) she worked hard to fix them and keep the drawing going. All while doing her graduate work and under major time crunches. Jenn is nothing short of an angel, and we all so, so appreciate her hard work.

Thanks to the other folks behind the scenes who helped put this whole thing together: Candra Gill, who took care of all the other technical needs surrounding the CBS website plus was smart about everything; Nisi Shawl, Claire Light and Kate Schaefer, who gave support, advice, guidance, and time as we rushed to make this whole thing a reality; Pablo Defendini and Nivair Gabriel who volunteered to convert stories into ePub files to make them compatible with the eReaders (for which I am eternally grateful); Matt Kressel whose work on the KGB Raffle inspired us to try it here and who offered advice and technical know-how. And thanks to the members of the Carl Brandon Society board who gave the green light to begin with.

I can never convey enough gratitude to the companies that donated the technology. Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Spring Design all jumped at the chance to be a part of this fundraiser. Thanks for making such wonderful, tempting eReaders and for supporting literature in the digital age.

A big, big thank you to all of the writers and publishers who sent us fiction, poetry and essays to include with the eReaders. The full list is here. The eReaders were a big draw, of course, but your donations added an extra layer of awesome to the prizes.

Everyone who spread the word about this online, on social networks, via blogs, or by word of mouth: thank you.

And now, here are the winners:

The winner of the Spring Design Alex eReader is: Kang-Yun Tsai

The winners of the Barnes & Noble Nook are: David Linder and Joshua Kidd

The winners of the Kobo Wireless Reader are: Jessica Nasca and Molly Aplet

The winner of the autographed copy of the Dark Matter anthology is: Deanne Fountaine

Congratulations to all of you! If we haven't contacted you directly yet, we will very soon.

Last Day To Win An eReader! To Tempt You, Some Surprises...

It's here! The final day of the eReader drawing to support the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship Fund. Less than 12 hours to buy tickets and win a Barnes & Noble Nook, a Kobo Wireless Reader, or an Alex eReader. And, of course, there's still an autographed Dark Matter up for grabs.

We've spent the last week urging you to buy tickets and show your support, and many of you already have. As we're in the final stretch, we're hoping for one last surge of ticket buying. To that end, we have some surprises for you.

First, we're adding one more short story to the mix by Nalo Hopkinson! The story has not yet been determined, but it's Nalo. I mean, what more could you want?

Not enough? Okay then, we're also throwing in a copy of Steam-Powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories, edited(and donated) by JoSelle Vanderhooft. This won't even be out in stores until January. You will get an advanced peak at this steamy goodness. But only if you buy tickets.

And finally, if eReaders don't move you, if free fiction and poetry and essays don't move you, if autographed first editions don't move you, maybe this will:

...what the Octavia E. Butler Scholarship [meant] to me... it meant everything.

...I deeply value my Clarion a-ha moments, but realistically speaking, I might have been willing to take out a loan for Clarion.

It was having that trust while I was there, and after. And needing to live up to it.

That gave me both the cluebat that I should stand for things I care about, and the confidence to do so when it scared the shit out of me. ...The scholarship, and Butler's writing, both helped me become someone other than the sit down and shut up outsider.

...the POC at the last few Clarions have knocked my socks off, and the Butler scholarship helps some of us become people who'll knock your socks off.

Read Shweta Narayan's entire post here. Buy tickets here. And thanks!

Final Two Days of the Butler Scholarship Drawing

We're down to the wire in our fundraiser for the Octavia E. Butler scholarship. You only have two days left to buy tickets and win an eReader and/or an autographed copy of the Dark Matter anthology. Why should you support the scholarship? Here are 5 reasons:

1. You can offer students the same opportunity Octavia Butler herself had:

As a young writer, Octavia's writing instructor (Harlan Ellison) encouraged her to attend Clarion. However, the financial means came from a source much closer to home. Butler's mother, who worked as a maid, lent her the tuition fee. I remember Octavia telling my Clarion West class that her mother used the money she'd been saving to fix her teeth. I can't find a record of that on the web, but I did find an interview where she talks about her mother lending the money and that "It really got her back up when other family members criticized me for writing."

2. from a blog post I wrote last week:

"Neile called me up shortly after I filed my financial aid application and told me that... A person had paid my full tuition. Someone who wished to remain anonymous.

... When that anonymous person paid my tuition, I felt like she or he was saying to me: your voice matters. I believe that enough to give you thousands of dollars. Prove me right.

This is why, ever since its inception, I have been a supporter of the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship. Each year, this fund does for two students of color going to Clarion and Clarion West what that donor did for me, which is to say: your voice matters."

3. from Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, 2009 Butler Scholar and Clarion West alum:

"I remember telling people about how receiving the Butler Scholarship made me feel like my dreams had been given wings. ...[Without it], the chances of me attending Clarion West would have been close to zero.

...

To me, being given that scholarship was like receiving word that there were people who believed in me and in the stories that I had to tell. There were people who believed that what I had to say was something worth saying and something worth listening to. This knowledge inspires me even now that I am far away from all the beloved people who inspired me and who continue to inspire me. Each time I sit down to write, I think of the people who support the Butler scholarship and there aren't enough words to say how thankful I am for you. You may not be aware of it, but in my darkest moments, the knowledge that you believed in me has kept me here."

4. from Claire Light, Clarion West 2003 alum and Carl Brandon Society board member:

"Writers of color [are] disadvantaged on a regular basis, as a regular basis. This happens from inception (writers of color aren’t encouraged as much by teachers, don’t have as many role models who look like us and come from similar backgrounds, don’t have as many opportunities to take after school classes or go to camp, etc.) through education (writers of color aren’t as actively recruited by writing programs, are overlooked or subtly discouraged by teachers and administrators, are often more in need of scholarships and financial support and often have less access to such, etc.) to breaking into the literary world (writers of color aren’t as actively recruited by publishers and editors, may have less access to information about how to break into publishing, may write from a perspective that isn’t recognized or understood by editors, etc.) and then getting their published work recognized (writers of color are often ghettoized into publishing categories that aren’t recognized, writers of color are rarely reviewed at all, much less in the most read and respected publications, writers of color are rarely nominated for prestigious awards, works by writers of color are too rarely assigned in “general” literature classes — as opposed to “ethnic” literature classes, etc.)

... Without programs geared toward encouraging, training, and promoting writers of color, I for one would never have gotten to the point of entering grad school or going to Clarion West, much less completing work and getting it published."

5. from Jeff Vandermeer, author and Clarion instructor:

"The Clarion workshop is important for reasons that go beyond the value of in-depth workshopping from six different experienced instructors and talks by other guests that provide talented beginners with the tools to improve their writing.

It is also important career-wise because many of the instructors can be of use in shortening the path to publication through sharing of contacts, resources, and leverage. Many instructors also aren’t just writers but editors, which is also of use. In addition, the connect to and comraderie with fellow students will, over time, mean more than being part of a community, since many Clarion students go on to have full-on writing careers.

Therefore, in short Clarion is partially about access, and lack of access for talented writers due to monetary concerns is something that diminishes the field and makes it even harder for talent to win out."

Tickets are here. Want to skip that and donate directly? Send a check or money order made out to The Carl Brandon Society (with Butler Scholarship Donation in the note) to:

The Carl Brandon Society

P.O. Box 23336

Seattle, WA 98102

Win An Autographed First Edition of the Dark Matter Anthology

I'm sure you all know about our current fundraiser, the drawing to win some eReaders filled with awesome fiction and poetry by writers of color. But do you know that beyond the Nooks, Kobo Readers, and Alex on offer there's also something for you print book lovers? That's right.

We also have a first edition of the groundbreaking anthology Dark Matter on offer, which has been signed by a number of the book's contributors, including:

editor Sheree R. Thomas
Tananarive Due
DJ Spooky
Linda Addison
Ama Patterson

and more!

How much for this wonderful piece of literary awesomeness? Tickets are just $1, same as the eReaders. Click here to buy one for your chance to win.

Butler Scholarship eReader Drawing - Complete List of Included Fiction, Poetry and Essays

It's now been about a week since the Butler Memorial Scholarship fundraiser went into full swing and and so far the response has been awesome. We've also finally received all of the books, stories, essays and poems that will be included with every eReader.

Please join us in thanking these authors for donating these works to the drawing. Remember, each of the 5 eReaders available will come pre-loaded with all of the titles below. It's a great way to start off your digital library.

Short Fiction

Judgment of Swords and Souls by Saladin Ahmed
Elan Vital by K. Tempest Bradford
The Executioner by Jenn Brissett
The Flinchfield Dance by Mary Burroughs (A Butler Scholar*)
The Abyss Gazes Also By Christopher Caldwell (A Butler Scholar*)
A - The Teachings by Chesya Burke
Chocolate Park by Chesya Burke
He Who Takes Away the Pain by Chesya Burke
The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate by Ted Chiang - 2008 Hugo and Nebula award winner
Non-Zero Probabilities by N. K. Jemisin - 2010 Hugo and Nebula nominee
And Their Lips Rang with the Sun by Amal El-Mohtar
Emeritas by Caren Gussoff (A Butler Scholar*)

Message in a Bottle by Nalo Hopkinson
Lena's Gift by Shweta Narayan (A Butler Scholar*)
Hi Bugan ya Hi Kinggawan by Rochita Loenen-Ruiz (A Butler Scholar*)
Teaching a Pink Elephant to Ski by Rochita Loenen-Ruiz
Sex Degrees of Separation by Terence Taylor

Non-Fiction

Beyond Duality by Moondancer Drake

Novels

King Maker: The Knights of Breton Court by Maurice Broaddus (Angry Robot)

Racing the Dark by Alaya Dawn Johnson (Agate Bolden)

The Burning City by Alaya Dawn Johnson (Agate Bolden)
Redemption In Indigo by Karen Lord (Small Beer Press)

Anthologies and Collections

A Mosque Among the Stars, ed. Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad, Ahmed A. Khan (ZC Books)
Being Full of Light Insubstantial by Linda Addison - Winner of the 2007 Bram Stoker Award (Space and Time)
Tides From The New Worlds by Tobias S Buckell (Wyrm Publishing)
Slightly Behind and to the Left: Four Stories and Three Drabbles by Claire Light (Aqueduct Press)
The Honey Month by Amal El-Mohtar (Papaveria Press)
Paper Cities, An Anthology of Urban Fantasy, ed. Ekaterina Sedia - Winner of the 2009 World Fantasy Award (Senses Five Press)
Filter House by Nisi Shawl - Winner of the 2008 James Tiptree Jr. Award (Aqueduct Press)

Steam-Powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories, ed. JoSelle Vanderhooft

Magazines

Apex Magazine November 2010 (Issue 18 - The Arab/Muslim Issue), ed. Catherynne M. Valente
Sybil's Garage no. 7, ed. Matthew Kressel

If I left off any award nominations or wins for any of these works, please let me know!

Special thanks to the book publishers who donated longer works and converted them into the necessary formats for us.

I hope seeing this list of fiction has inspired you to go and buy a ticket for the chance to win one of the eReaders on offer. If you've already bought one, buy another, or three! Each ticket you buy increases your chances.

*These authors are workshop alumni who received financial assistance toward their Clarion or Clarion West tuition via the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship.

Regarding the Elizabeth Moon Controversy

We at the Carl Brandon Society Steering Committee feel it is important to state our position on a number of issues raised by the Elizabeth Moon controversy.

1. Regarding demands for “assimilation”: In the United States — as a nation and as a singular culture — no mainstream assimilated identity exists. The U.S. culture, such as it is, is an agglomeration of subcultures based upon region, neighborhood, urban/suburban/rural status, class, vocation, affiliation, race, ethnicity, country of origin, and a number of other factors — all in combination with one another. Demanding that an immigrant “assimilate to U.S. culture” is meaningless: assimilate to what exactly? Which set of cultural values and uses are immigrants to assimilate to? And who gets to decide? We contend that it is irresponsible to demand assimilation or further assimilation from any U.S. resident for any reason.
2. Regarding the responsibilities of immigrants: Immigrants often lack English language skills and cultural competency in our legal system and political and business cultures, which leads to disadvantage. People lacking these skills and competencies are already struggling in our society. To blame them for this lack is vile; to impose upon others the responsibility of becoming more like “us,” when they are often already struggling just to survive, is unjust. Naturalized citizens, those born and usually raised in another culture, have had to deliberately change their identities to become U.S. citizens. This is a soul-wrenching transformation; different individuals must create their new identities out of different pieces. To stand outside of this process and make ignorant demands is despicable. We contend that the just and right course is to leave each individual to find her own way, and to welcome the new citizen in whatever guise he appears in.
3. Regarding immigrants choosing to remain separate: Ethnic enclaves are not merely about comfort. For immigrants lacking language skills and cultural competency, the ethnic enclave is often the place to find assistance in navigating bureaucracy, or understanding cultures, or just translation help. The ethnic enclave historically has provided banks, social assistance, insurance, protection, gainful employment, education and training, etc. The ethnic enclave also makes groups of immigrants easy to find and serve; government outreach is much more effective when agencies have ethnic enclaves to turn to. The supposedly “separatist” ethnic enclave is, in fact, an engine of citizenship: a machine that processes the new immigrant into a culturally competent and productive member of society. That it does so without washing out what is distinctive and valuable about the immigrant’s culture of origin, explains why it is so effective.
4. Regarding “citizenship” and our responsibilities as citizens: Within the law, native born citizens are free to debate and experiment with the concept of citizenship in word and lifestyle; immigrants are free to do likewise. We contend that a demand that immigrants “earn” citizenship by conforming to a narrow and stereotyped understanding of “good citizenship” is irresponsible and unjust. Furthermore, definitions of “good citizenship” and “good citizens” have been used to oppress various groups throughout the history of the United States, including: continuing debates on the autonomy and status of Native Americans/American Indians; oppression of poor European immigrants in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; Chinese and Asian exclusion; immigration quotas; Jim Crow laws, especially those that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote; Japanese internment; Arizona SB 1070. We are particularly wary of any definition of “good citizenship” when it is applied to a particular group. When an accusation of “bad citizenship” is made by a member of the majority towards an entire group, it is an act of discrimination and must be treated as such.
5. Regarding the “complaints” of marginalized groups: We contend that speaking up for civil rights is the essence of “good citizenship,” if there is such a thing. Expecting immigrants to accept intolerance and bigotry directed towards them because of what their former countrymen may be doing abroad is to expect those immigrants to be bad citizens.
6. Regarding the responsibilities of Muslims for Islamic fundamentalist terrorism: Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, with nearly one fourth of the planet’s population constituting its adherents. Generalizing about Muslims is impossible and absurd. All Muslims no more share a common culture or set of beliefs than all “Christians” do. No Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or any other religiously inspired violence excuses bigotry against that religion’s adherents. No Muslims bear responsibility for Islamist terrorist acts except those Muslims directly involved.
7. Regarding “tolerance”: “Tolerance” is often considered one of our primary duties as citizens. “Tolerance” does not mean agreement, consensus, likeness, or even understanding. It does not mean assimilation. It does not require friendship, nor even dialogue. It is simple. It means refraining from expressing negativity towards things that are different from or alien to you. Tolerance is part of our social contract: you tolerate me, and I tolerate you; we both refrain from attacking one another; we live and let live. On the other hand, tolerance doesn’t deserve reward, either. As a social responsibility, it doesn’t change, lessen, or end; you never cease to be responsible for tolerating others.
8. Regarding “teachable moments”: It is not the responsibility of members of marginalized groups to educate others about their group’s reality, history, or oppression. In situations like the current one, where someone has made bigoted statements against members of a particular group, members of that group have the right to be outraged and hurt without being forced into a false “teaching” position. We also affirm the position of those who do not wish to make this topic the focus of their Wiscon or other SF fan experiences.

We ask both the Wiscon concom and Ms. Moon to take advantage of her presence at Wiscon 35 to make programming opportunities for Ms. Moon to engage in open dialogue with the community on this topic. We consider this sort of dialogue to be a primary responsibility of the Carl Brandon Society as an organization — particularly given our history with Wiscon — and we welcome the opportunity to engage in it. We also welcome other voices to work together with CBS in this dialogue.

Carl Brandon Society Arisia Schedule

Attending Arisia in Boston this weekend? Be sure to check out the Carl Brandon Society programming:

Carl Brandon Society Party
Saturday, 8:30pm to midnight, Room 211
Enter for a chance to win the Carl Brandon Award winning books.

Carl Brandon Awards Ceremony and Reception
Sunday, 1:00pm, Presidents A
Andrea Hairston and Nnedi Okorafor will receive their Carl Brandon Awards and read from their winning works.

Nnedi Okorafor's panels:
Saturday, 3:00pm Diversity is Coming!
Sunday, 11:00am Faeries of Color: Tales of the Fae beyond Northern Europe

Andrea Hairston's panels:
Saturday, 11:00am The Changing Face of Fiction: Literature, Diversity, and Backlash
Saturday, 4:00am Interstitial Fiction: Dancing between the Genres

check at the convention for rooms and for up-to-date schedule information

2006 & 2007 Carl Brandon Society Award Winners

The Carl Brandon Society is pleased to announce the winners of our 2006 and 2007 awards.

The winner of the 2006 Carl Brandon Parallax Award is Mindscape by Andrea Hairston. [Note: No work will receive the 2006 Carl Brandon Kindred Award.]

The 2007 Carl Brandon Parallax Award winner is The Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor. The 2007 Carl Brandon Kindred Award winner is From the Notebooks of Doctor Brain by Minister Faust.

A presentation ceremony for the 2006 and 2007 awards will take place at Arisia, an annual science fiction convention held in Boston, Massachusetts. Award recipients Andrea Hairston and Nnedi Okorafor will be in attendance, and the honors lists for the 2006 and 2007 Parallax and Kindred Awards will be announced there.

Nominations for the 2008 Parallax and Kindred Awards are now closed. We will announce our winners later this year. Nominations for the 2009 Parallax and Kindred Awards will be accepted through June 1, 2010. Visit the awards page for more information.

Caribbean fantasy novelist Michael Holgate wins Moonbeam Award

Novelist Michael Holgate, from Jamaica, recently received a Moonbeam Award for his children's fantasy novel Night of the Indigo. More from Krista Henry, Staff Reporter at the Jamaica Gleaner:

The Moonbeam Awards are some of the fastest growing United States-based awards focused on children's books.


Presented by the Jenkins Group and Independent Publisher Online, the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards are designed "to bring increased recognition to exemplary children's books and their creators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading". Awards are given in 36 categories covering the full range of subjects, styles and age groups that children's books are written and published in today.


The Moonbeam Awards are intended for authors, illustrators, publishers and self-publishers of children's books, written in English and intended for the North American market.

SF in SF fundraiser for the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship

Color Me SF: The Science Fiction Worlds of Octavia Butler and Carl Brandon


Fundraiser for the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship


Saturday is Litquake Day in San Francisco, and SF in SF has a very special event for you....

Special guest readers for the event will be Jewelle Gomez and Claire Light. There will also be a discussion on Butler and Brandon, with Q and A moderated by Terry Bisson. Books will be for sale courtesy of Borderlands Books; and there's a special raffle at $1 a ticket!!! All proceeds to the scholarship!

SF in SF will be asking for $5 at the door, with all of the money going to the Octavia Butler Scholarship. Bar proceeds for the night will also go to the Scholarship. Tips, as usual, will go to Variety.

The Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship enables writers of color to attend one of the Clarion writing workshops, where Octavia got her start. It helps to cement Octavia's legacy by providing the same experience/opportunity that Octavia had to future generations of new writers of color.

Cash bar and doors open at 6:00 PM - first come, first seated. We will have the lounge area miked as well, so all who come are welcome to stay and listen.

Event begins at 7:00PM - podcasting by Rick Kleffel of The Agony Column & NPR


The Variety Preview Room Theatre


The Hobart Bldg., 1st Floor - entrance is between Citibank and Quiznos


582 Market St. @ Montgomery & 2nd


Please contact Rina Weisman with any questions.


SF in SF - Science Fiction. San Francisco. A Perfect Fit


Tachyon Publications - "Saving the world, one good book at a time"


Variety Children's Charity of Northern California

2010 International Conference of the Fantastic in the Arts: call for papers on the theme of Race and the Fantastic

Call For Papers: 2010 International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts

The Film and Media division of the International Association of the Fantastic in the Arts seeks paper and panel proposals for the 31st International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts which will be held March 17th – 21st, 2010 in Orlando, Florida at the Marriott Orlando Airport Hotel.

The topic of this year's conference is "Race and the Fantastic." Papers related to this topic, as well as to the work of our guests of honor and attending authors (below), are especially welcome; as always, proposals for individual papers and for academic sessions and panels on any aspect of the fantastic in any media are also welcome.

The guests of honor for 2010 are authors Nalo Hopkinson and Laurence Yep, and scholar Takayuki Tatsumi. More information here.

August 2009 Short Fiction

This month's list is very short, which makes me think I must be missing some stories. So if you're a person of color and had a speculative fiction story published in August, please say so in comments. Also, please list your story on the Carl Brandon wiki (where everyone can go to see stories by POC pubbed in 2009 and in 2008). If you've got a story coming out in September or after that, please go to this form and let me know. It's quick and easy -- editors are welcome to fill it out as well!

• Pimp My Airship by Maurice Broaddus -- Apex Magazine
• Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast by Eugie Foster (reprint) -- Apex Magazine
• Charms by Shweta Narayan -- Strange Horizons
• Enmity by K. Tempest Bradford (technically from May, but the story is now offered for free online)

LIAR Has a New Cover!

Heeeyyyy! The huge debate and protests had an impact! Bloomsbury has changed the cover for Justine Larbalestier's forthcoming YA novel, LIAR!

The previous cover was controversial because it showed a white teenaged girl, whereas the book's protagonist is biracial (black/white.) Larbalestier, who is a white Australian author, tried to change the cover behind the scenes, but when she was unsuccessful, she wrote about it on her blog. The book's editor threw fuel on the fire of the ensuing controversy by claiming that the cover was intended to deepen the mindf*ck; because the book's protag, who is a pathological liar, is the one who tells us that she is biracial. Nobody bought that, though.

So now that they've caved to pressure, it's up to us to show them that audiences really DO read books with POC on the cover. Go buy it!