TIST WED R E VI A E R ed by Brit Mandelo Brit ed by y Angela Carter y Angela y Samuel R. Delany y Nalo Hopkinson y N.K. Jemisin y Nancy Kress y L. Timmel Duchamp y L. Timmel Koenig y Abby A.K.y Kiik A.K.y Kiik MacFarlane Dally y Alex RED ATU b b b b b edit b b b b b OOKS OEMS SSAYS E F Scheff Meredith B Magma Grandmother the Circus Nights at the Valley Through Spiders of the Nest of Midnight Planet from Report Moon The Killing Age of Fountain Binary: Beyond Fluid Genderqueer Sexually and Fiction Science E Rich Adrienne In Memoriam: 1, Again Back Day at P adam hair in the uncut wedding the meadow of BeautifulMost in Death

e IN THIS ISSUE n o Z n o i t c

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C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C

X X Meredith Scheff

$4.00

TheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheThe Managing Editor ol o uly Lew Gilchriist V . 2 N . 3—J 2012

Reviews Editor Essays Nisi Shawl In Memoriam: Adrienne Rich (1929-2012) h 3 Features Editor by L. Timmel Duchamp L. Timmel Duchamp Back at Day 1, Again h 6 by Abby Koenig Arts Editor Kath Wilham Poems adam, by Kiik A.K. h 9 $4.00 wedding in the uncut hair of the meadow, by Kiik A.K. h 19 Most Beautiful in Death, by Alex Dally MacFarlane h 21

Reviews Grandmother Magma Nights at the Circus, by Angela Carter h 10 reviewed by Graham Joyce Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, by Samuel R. Delany h 12 reviewed by Victoria Garcia Report from Planet Midnight, by Nalo Hopkinson h 13 H reviewed by Thomas Foster h 2 The Killing Moon, by N.K. Jemisin 16 reviewed by Ebony Thomas Fountain of Age, stories by Nancy Kress h 17 reviewed by Cynthia Ward Beyond Binary: Genderqueer and Sexually Fluid Science Fiction, edited by Brit Mandelo h 20 reviewed by Paige Clifton-Steele

Featured Artist Meredith Scheff h 22

© The Cascadia Subduction Zone, 2012

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In This ISSUE Cover banner collagraph of the Cascadia subduction zone by Marilyn Liden Bode n

n

- re But re-visioning. early that of equacy me, is Fox’s quotation from Rich’s letter letter Rich’s from quotation Fox’s is me,

Cont. on p. 4 p. on Cont.

- inad and naiveté the about complaining most interesting line in the obituary, for for obituary, the in line interesting most

much time grumpily adjusting it and and it adjusting grumpily time much ishing for a feminist, lesbian poet. But the the But poet. lesbian feminist, a for ishing

that lens now for forty years and spend spend and years forty for now lens that - aston poet, any for Extraordinary well?

of male-dominated history. We’ve had had We’ve history. male-dominated of since the mid-1960s.” Poetry selling that that selling Poetry mid-1960s.” the since

ems that had been “lost” in the shuffle shuffle the in “lost” been had that ems W. Norton & Company, her publisher publisher her Company, & Norton W.

- po and essays, plays, novels, rebellious nearly 800,000 copies, according to W. W. to according copies, 800,000 nearly

covering the then exhilaratingly strange, strange, exhilaratingly then the covering dozen of prose; the poetry alone has sold sold has alone poetry the prose; of dozen

- dis and — through the lens of feminism of lens the through umes of poetry and more than a half- a than more and poetry of umes

seeing and reading it it reading and seeing — - vol dozen two wrote She intellectuals. to us in 1971 in us to appalls me.” appalls

one of the best-known American public public American best-known the of one of literature by women then available available then women by literature of limited accomplishment accomplishment limited

writers of the feminist movement and and movement feminist the of writers of re-visioning the past and the little bit bit little the and past the re-visioning of ‘verse’ to Friedan’s timid, timid, Friedan’s to ‘verse’

for decades among the most influential influential most the among decades for berant and exciting a task was the project project the was task a exciting and berant very idea of reducing her her reducing of idea very

viewed and widely taught, Ms. Rich was was Rich Ms. taught, widely and viewed - exu how of me remind book this in says Friedan’s vision that the the that vision Friedan’s

went so far beyond Betty Betty beyond far so went - inter widely anthologized, widely read, - es the of Many life. public and daily of

“Adrienne Rich’s work work Rich’s “Adrienne “Widely “Widely Wreck. the into Diving for 1974 without restructuring every institution institution every restructuring without

1994 and the National Book Award in in Award Book National the and 1994 or our anger, or rid our lives of sexism sexism of lives our rid or anger, our or

distinctions, Rich’s McArthur grant in in grant McArthur Rich’s distinctions, we can “transcend” the history of racism racism of history the “transcend” can we

82.” The obituary notes, among other other among notes, obituary The 82.” warnings to feminists against thinking thinking against feminists to warnings

her home in Santa Cruz, Calif. She was was She Calif. Cruz, Santa in home her larly associate with Rich, just as I do her her do I as just Rich, with associate larly

nearly a half-century, died on Tuesday at at Tuesday on died half-century, a nearly - particu I concepts are heterosexuality ry

of poetic discourse and kept it there for for there it kept and discourse poetic of - compulso and re-vision, Awakening,

of women and lesbians to the forefront forefront the to lesbians and women of when I first read it. it. read first I when

brought the oppression oppression the brought — pathic ferocity pathic which blew open my thinking in 1981, 1981, in thinking my open blew which

- em dazzling, a and vision progressive , , 1966-1978 Prose Selected Silence: and

distinguished by an unswerving unswerving an by distinguished — work On Lies, Secret, Secret, Lies, On Rich’s revisit to like I’d is, 3

ing reputation and towering rage, whose whose rage, towering and reputation ing appalls me. To explain how wrong this this wrong how explain To me. appalls

i - tower of poet a Rich, “Adrienne gan: Friedan’s timid, limited accomplishment accomplishment limited timid, Friedan’s

- be Fox, Margalit by , Times York New the very idea of reducing her “verse” to to “verse” her reducing of idea very the

The in day next the obituary The so far beyond Betty Friedan’s vision that that vision Friedan’s Betty beyond far so

self I always found in her poetry. poetry. her in found always I self strenuously. Adrienne Rich’s work went went work Rich’s Adrienne strenuously.

break for myself without betraying the the betraying without myself for break , did in prose.” I disagree, disagree, I prose.” in did , Mystique nine

er turn back from the path I needed to to needed I path the from back turn er - Femi The of author Friedan, Betty what

- nev could I that understood I’ve poetry, asserts that Rich “accomplished in verse verse in “accomplished Rich that asserts

the unfolding, expansive images of her her of images expansive unfolding, the But the obituary also, unfortunately, unfortunately, also, obituary the But

Every time I’ve located myself within within myself located I’ve time Every table of power which holds it hostage.” it holds which power of table

in, change in my life, change in myself. myself. in change life, my in change in, nothing if it simply decorates the dinner dinner the decorates simply it if nothing

change in the world I live live I world the in change — insists to me to insists so dishonored. Art,” Rich added, “means “means added, Rich Art,” dishonored. so

life-affirming. I need change, her poetry poetry her change, need I life-affirming. token artists while the people at large are are large at people the while artists token

onset of interrogation both painful and and painful both interrogation of onset government had chosen to honor “a few few “a honor to chosen had government

act of finding has always marked the the marked always has finding of act racial and economic injustice,” that the the that injustice,” economic and racial

my life and myself in her poetry, but that that but poetry, her in myself and life my amid the “increasingly brutal impact of of impact brutal “increasingly the amid

be slapped awake. True, I’ve often found found often I’ve True, awake. slapped be Rich expressed her dismay, Fox writes, writes, Fox dismay, her expressed Rich

to her poetry: not to be comforted, but to to but comforted, be to not poetry: her to the Arts, which administers the award. award. the administers which Arts, the be slapped awake.” slapped be

of my adult life I’ve gone again and again again and again gone I’ve life adult my of woman of the National Endowment for for Endowment National the of woman to be comforted, but to to but comforted, be to

shoulders with Joanna Russ’s. For most most For Russ’s. Joanna with shoulders written to Jane Alexander, then chair then Alexander, Jane to written - again to her poetry: not not poetry: her to again

“I’ve gone again and and again gone “I’ve In my personal canon, Rich’s work rubs rubs work Rich’s canon, personal my In highest award bestowed upon artists, artists, upon bestowed award highest

essayist, and theorist Adrienne Rich. Rich. Adrienne theorist and essayist, of Arts, the United States government’s government’s States United the Arts, of

On March 27, the world lost poet, poet, lost world the 27, March On in 1997, declining the National Medal Medal National the declining 1997, in

y L. Timmel Duchamp Timmel L. y b

y In Memoriam: Adrienne Rich (1929-2012) Rich Adrienne Memoriam: In In Memoriam reading the essays in this book — looking establishment, and so Rich turned to her (cont. from p. 3) afresh at the work of Emily Dickinson, work for help in thinking about the is- Charlotte Bronte, Anne Hutchinson, sues of women and work — about “the and others — I recollect joy upon suc- relationship of women’s unpaid labor in ceeding joy at discovering that the past the home to the separation between ‘pri- we’d been taught, in which women were vate’ and ‘public’ spheres, of the woman’s passive, perhaps decorative, but largely body as commodity.” (211) Arendt, Rich “I recollect joy upon mute, drudging, and pregnant, was a lie. notes, “writes as if the work of Olive Sch- succeeding joy at Even the work we knew of read differ- reiner, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Emma discovering that the ently. Women were and always had been Goldman, Jane Addams, to name only a past we’d been taught, in which women were part of those who made the world (for few writers, had never existed. The with- passive, perhaps good or ill), and finding their doings holding of women from participation in decorative, but largely would help create a new, different future the vita activa, the ‘common world,’ and mute, drudging, and from that we’d been socialized to take the connection of this with reproductivi- pregnant, was a lie. Even as inevitable. Uncovering that history as ty, is something from which she does not the work we knew of read well as sharing the excitement of wide- so much turn her eyes as stare straight differently.” spread rebellion confirmed what we’d though unseeing. This ‘great work’ is thus always secretly believed: we would not a kind of failure for which masculine suffer what our mothers had. ideology has no name, precisely because In “When We Dead Awaken: Writ- in terms of that ideology it is success- ing as Re-vision,” Rich speaks of her ful, at the expense of truths the ideol- own awakening in the late 1950s. After ogy considers irrelevant.” (212) “To read almost years of resisting, fiercely, iden- such a book,” Rich writes, “by a woman tifying herself as a female poet — she of large spirit and great erudition, can be had been taught, of course, that poetry painful, because it embodies the tragedy H should be “universal,” meaning, as she of a female mind nourished on male ide- says, “non-female” — and being unable ologies.” (212) 4 to say “I” in her poetry, she began to Back in 1981, when I first read those write, for the first time, about experienc- words, I felt pain because Arendt’s dis- ing herself as a woman. One section of avowal of the realities lived by most of “Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law” con- her own sex felt like betrayal. But Rich cerns “a woman who thinks she is go- understood better than I did at the time, ing mad; she is haunted by voices telling the real tragedy: “The loss is ours, be- her to resist and rebel, voices which she cause Arendt’s desire to grasp deep mor- can hear but not obey.” (45) She was still al issues is the kind of concern we need “The flip side of the joy unable to write “I,” still feared insanity to build a common world which will of discovering a past in which women were active for feeling and thinking things that did amount to more than ‘life-styles.’ The and creative is the pain of not fit the logic of the world she lived in. power of male ideology to possess such realizing what has happened This is always the beginning, though, for a female mind, to disconnect it as it were when women have accepted the lone individual waking to limitations from the female body which encloses it those limitations and and boundaries and definitions that hurt and which it encloses, is nowhere more boundaries and definitions and confine her. striking than in Arendt’s lofty and crip- as necessary…” The flip side of the joy of discover- pled book.” (212) ing a past in which women were active “Life-styles,” in this passage, alludes and creative is the pain of realizing what to a theme running through On Lies, has happened when women have ac- Secrets and Silence, that of temptations cepted those limitations and boundar- and dangers of sinking into cultural ies and definitions as necessary (though feminism, which by the mid-1970s was not applying to them). Rich captures beginning to take shape in a feminism this with her poignant thoughts about exalting “woman” and a separate sphere reading Hannah Arendt’s The Human for women that not only shut out the

Condition, written in the 1950s. Arendt ugliness of sexism but also promised to

was highly respected in the intellectual leave behind all oppressions merely by n

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Aqueduct Press. Press. Aqueduct

founder and publisher of of publisher and founder

She is also the the also is She Home. at

Never Never and Time in Dancing

Love’s Body, Body, Love’s fiction, short of

Cycle and two collections collections two and Cycle

the author of the Marq’ssan Marq’ssan the of author the

L. Timmel Duchamp is is Duchamp Timmel L.

us to our senses.” our to us

the capacity of restoring restoring of capacity the he was he described how in the the in how described —

responding; they have have they responding; pher and social psychologist that that psychologist social and pher

of seeing, holding, and and holding, seeing, of

Karl Marx Karl - philoso humanist —

induce exactly that kind kind that exactly induce

“Rich’s poetry and essays essays and poetry “Rich’s

, her last collection of essays: of collection last her , 2008

man Eye: Essays on Art in Society, 1997- Society, in Art on Essays Eye: man

- Hu A to Foreword Rich’s of words last

I’d like to end this memorial with the the with memorial this end to like I’d

made me uneasy and even alienated. alienated. even and uneasy me made

for a long time I could not articulate but but articulate not could I time long a for

5

feminist theory I’d been reading, which which reading, been I’d theory feminist

then?”

i me think about troubling aspects of the the of aspects troubling about think me

“what apprehension, what responsibility, responsibility, what apprehension, “what

It helped helped It Back. My Called Bridge This

so, she delivers us to her final question: question: final her to us delivers she so,

Audre Lorde. It prepared me to read read to me prepared It Lorde. Audre

of restoring us to our senses. In doing doing In senses. our to us restoring of

me in a new direction. It led me first to to first me led It direction. new a in me

and responding; they have the capacity capacity the have they responding; and

“Disloyal to Civilization” helped guide guide helped Civilization” to “Disloyal

duce exactly that kind of seeing, holding, holding, seeing, of kind that exactly duce

feminism. feminism.

- in essays and poetry Rich’s Precisely.

that that is a huge part of the work of of work the of part huge a is that that

be done is hardly begun. But she insists insists she But begun. hardly is done be

responsibility then? responsibility

here and acknowledges that the work to to work the that acknowledges and here

And what apprehension, what what apprehension, what And

radical words in 1988. Rich struggles struggles Rich 1988. in words radical

us to our senses. our to us

radical words in 1978. They were still still were They 1978. in words radical

racism.” racism.”

ing, and responding, it can restore restore can it responding, and ing,

perpetuate injustice.” (307) Those were were Those (307) injustice.” perpetuate

intellectualization of of intellectualization

- hold seeing, of kind that induce

ing love together, we can, and often do, do, often and can, we together, love ing political’ white feminists’ feminists’ white political’

physically present silence present physically can can —

For even mak even For us? between justice create, - of racism’ and ‘more ‘more and racism’ of

language, music, or, in palpable palpable in or, music, language,

white women going to name, to found, to to found, to name, to going women white ‘can shrug off the issue issue the off shrug ‘can

social object.” When art When object.” social as as —

How are black and and black are How question: continuing brand of feminism’ that that feminism’ of brand

human, human, a become has object its ‘a shallow, “life-style” “life-style” shallow, ‘a tory as part of American racism, on the the on racism, American of part as tory

eye only when when only eye human a become Gynephobia’tackles both both Gynephobia’tackles vival all depend, in the face of our his our of face the in depend, all vival -

He also observed: “The eye has has eye “The observed: also He

Feminism, Racism, Racism, Feminism, - sur and integrity, “Love, it. read first I

‘Disloyal to Civilization: Civilization: to ‘Disloyal so hard I remember where I was when when was I where remember I hard so in some way.” some in utilized ited…

“The powerful 1978 1978 powerful “The tion of racism. This essay walloped me me walloped essay This racism. of tion - inhab worn, drunk, eaten, rectly

political” white feminists’ intellectualiza feminists’ white political” - - di is it when or capital, as us for

shrug off the issue of racism” and “more “more and racism” of issue the off shrug when we have it, when it exists exists it when it, have we when

‘life-style’ brand of feminism” that “can “can that feminism” of brand ‘life-style’ ownership: “an object is only ours ours only is object “an ownership:

Gynephobia” tackles both “a shallow, shallow, “a both tackles reduced to the mere sense of of sense mere the to reduced

loyal to Civilization: Feminism, Racism, Racism, Feminism, Civilization: to loyal human senses become starved, starved, become senses human

. . separation The powerful 1978 “Dis 1978 powerful The - compulsive expansion of capital capital of expansion compulsive Back at Day 1, Again that has just driven off the lot; the Blue y by Abby Koenig Book value of your eggs has lessened by 20%. Your stock drops a few percentage points every morning that the uterus You spend the majority of your adult market opens. life desperately trying not to get preg- This is the timeframe between the nant. You harness the power of latex and “babies are cute” phase and one of ut- “Up until a certain point spermicidal creams, sponges and films, ter desperation. You would never expect in life, babies are just pulls and prayers. You spin around in Or- to turn into one of “those women;” you objects to be placed in tho highs and lows, Yaz, Depo-Provera, have a career and ambition and a drink- ladybug costumes in Anne Rings. You may be the last living woman ing habit, but something in you has Geddes portraits. For the on earth to still own a diaphragm. changed. You begin to feel a hatred to- most part, children don’t Up until a certain point in life, babies ward all those with children, especially seem real.” are just objects to be placed in ladybug young girls who you just know never costumes in Anne Geddes portraits. For wanted their babies to begin with and the most part, children don’t seem real. couldn’t possibly love them as much as They are far away in space and time. you could. Jealousy’s ugly face looks like Children are unnecessary accessories yours and you ain’t looking pretty. that celebrities spawn for attention. They Eventually you decide to take ac- scream in the aisles of Target over toys tion. Your current doctor, whose name is that you’ve never heard of, with names WebMD, has scared you for long enough you can’t pronounce. They are cute, with infertility symptoms and tales of yes; you have a nephew that you enjoy potential polycystic ovarian cancer, and sending books to that are well beyond so you make an appointment with a real “The timeframe between his comprehension. But they are also a doctor who scares you with tales of poly- the place where you have time-suck and demanding; they smell cystic ovarian syndrome (not cancer… H an intense hatred towards and they have green gunk coming out yet). She can’t be sure, though. You are a of their noses. Your nephew always finds “non-standard” case. 6 the idea of parenting,… to a place where, ‘Oh, the perfect time to start crying to his You are advised to see a “fertility spe- that’s a cute baby,’ mother, exactly when you are about to cialist” who resides in a large, futuristic happens overnight.” tell her something extraordinarily im- building labeled with three letters that portant about your job or your hair. You when placed together in this specific secretly admit to yourself that you really combination have more of a negative don’t even like children, let alone want connotation than the word “Nazi”: one of your own. The timeframe between the place IVF where you have an intense hatred to- The office takes up an entire floor and wards the idea of parenting, an “I love has far too many alcoves and evil look- my carefree, childless life,” an absolute ing doors labeled with unwelcoming contempt towards people who bring gold-plated signs reading “In Vitro” and crying babies to brunches and ruin your “Family Planning” and “Financial Assis- “You turn older than Bloody Mary buzz, to a place where, tance.” Every room has a perfectly posi- 30, and the seed of fear “Oh, that’s a cute baby,” happens over- that has been planted is tioned box of tissues. night. Literally, as you slumber, between beginning to blossom. You A doctor with impeccably coiffed being at the young age of 29 and wak- are a new car that has just hair, who is said to be “the best” and ing up as an old and decrepit 30-year- driven off the lot; the Blue whose wall, which is littered with de- old. Now babies don’t seem all that bad. Book value of your eggs grees and accolades, backs this up, eyes You find yourself creepily waving to get has lessened by 20%.” you up and down. You haven’t showered; their attention on supermarket check- she must know. She explains your situa- out lines and at shopping malls. tion, which is to say she has no idea what You turn older than 30, and the seed is wrong with you, but she sounds smart of fear that has been planted is begin-

saying it. Regardless of your ailment, she

ning to blossom. You are a new car can help. She speaks slowly and delib- n

n

the trigger and pay an obscene fee or or fee obscene an pay and trigger the timely egg-issue is leveling out, you are are you out, leveling is egg-issue timely

Cont. on p. 8 p. on Cont.

Your options are limited: Bag-check Bag-check limited: are options Your - un your that think may you While

ing led by you. Lovely. Lovely. you. by led ing your throat. throat. your

- be Economy,” Down a in “Fundraising shoving the dark chocolate patty down down patty chocolate dark the shoving

you land in Phoenix for a conference on on conference a for Phoenix in land you the bathroom and cry in the stall while while stall the in cry and bathroom the

prompted. The prompt is the exact day day exact the is prompt The prompted. practice. At the next break you rush to to rush you break next the At practice.

to inject into your own stomach when when stomach own your into inject to ing reminder letters to donors is a best best a is donors to letters reminder ing

very nonchalantly told you will need need will you told nonchalantly very - send how smile, fake monstrously a

The “trigger” is a shot that you are are you that shot a is “trigger” The women in suits explaining to them, with with them, to explaining suits in women

this trigger needs to be…well…triggered. to needs trigger this fore a conference room full of men and and men of full room conference a fore an HCG Trigger Shot.’” Trigger HCG an

ing business trip to Phoenix right when when right Phoenix to trip business ing - be standing are you minutes Within ‘how to self-administer self-administer to ‘how

- upcom an have also you but is, “trigger” stream making you slightly nauseous. nauseous. slightly you making stream video on EHow.com on on EHow.com on video

do you not know what in the hell the the hell the in what know not you do thing, and cold liquid enters your blood blood your enters liquid cold and thing, the foresight to post a a post to foresight the

which you nod, dumbfounded. Not only only Not dumbfounded. nod, you which time you’ve ever been glad to have such a a such have to glad been ever you’ve time “Thank God someone had had someone God “Thank

before you “give yourself the trigger,” to to trigger,” the yourself “give you before needle into your tummy pooch, the only only the pooch, tummy your into needle

that you will have to wait a few more days days more few a wait to have will you that Shot.” Yes, it is that specific. You slam the the slam You specific. that is it Yes, Shot.”

you feel good about yourself. You are told told are You yourself. about good feel you “how to self-administer an HCG Trigger Trigger HCG an self-administer to “how

tells you, which is surely meant to make make to meant surely is which you, tells sight to post a video on EHow.com on on EHow.com on video a post to sight

“Well that’s surprising!” The nurse nurse The surprising!” that’s “Well - fore the had someone God Thank

those damn follicles aren’t ready. ready. aren’t follicles damn those — sure” you deserve those too. too. those deserve you

- pres of lots gel, “cold — your probing your serve it). Oh, and a bag of chips because because chips of bag a and Oh, it). serve

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- roman as about sounds concept The pare for the situation you have bought bought have you situation the for pare

“timed intercourse.” intercourse.” “timed - pre To needle-virgin. a are You thought. 7

on Days 12 through 15 you will have have will you 15 through 12 Days on minutes to self-inject. This is a scary scary a is This self-inject. to minutes

i follicles are growing, as they should be, be, should they as growing, are follicles needle in hand. You have literally five five literally have You hand. in needle

probing. If all goes well, meaning your your meaning well, goes all If probing. You find yourself back at your hotel, hotel, your at back yourself find You

days and then you must return for more more for return must you then and days out of unsuspecting schlubs. schlubs. unsuspecting of out

that you take the pills on the designated designated the on pills the take you that to talk about how to milk more money money more milk to how about talk to

The way it is supposed to happen is is happen to supposed is it way The men, then getting back to the conference conference the to back getting then men,

tific approach if you’ve ever heard one. one. heard ever you’ve if approach tific - abdo your into needle a shoving hotel,

- scien a you; tells Jennifer named nurse ting to Walgreens, running back to your your to back running Walgreens, to ting

just make today Day 1, then,” a bouncy bouncy a then,” 1, Day today make just - get cab, a hopping you of consists time”

tablished that you have no Day 1. “We’ll “We’ll 1. Day no have you that tablished lunch and will return in “no time.” “No “No time.” “no in return will and lunch

- es been already has it considering ing you will have to make a swift exit during during exit swift a make to have will you

- noth means which 9, through 5 Days have and tell your male supervisor that that supervisor male your tell and have word ‘Nazi’: IVF.” ‘Nazi’: word

will stimulate growth, to be taken on on taken be to growth, stimulate will You suck up all of the pride that you you that pride the of all up suck You connotation than the the than connotation

You are given a prescription, pills that that pills prescription, a given are You Really, who cares? cares? who Really, have more of a negative negative a of more have

ence. “Cold gel, lots of pressure.” pressure.” of lots gel, “Cold ence. Hikes and What That Means to You.” You.” to Means That What and Hikes specific combination combination specific

huge dildo, it is far from an erotic experi erotic an from far is it dildo, huge - enthralling titles such as “US Postal Rate Rate Postal “US as such titles enthralling placed together in this this in together placed

Despite the apparatus’s resemblance to a a to resemblance apparatus’s the Despite leading various conference sessions with with sessions conference various leading three letters that when when that letters three

You sit and wait, pants off, to be probed. probed. be to off, pants wait, and sit You morrow. Tomorrow, being when you are are you when being Tomorrow, morrow. building labeled with with labeled building

in a large, futuristic futuristic large, a in are all twins. all are and will fill the prescription for you to you for prescription the fill will and -

specialist” who resides resides who specialist” of hope and simultaneous dread. They They dread. simultaneous and hope of to be text-liars. They are dreadfully sorry sorry dreadfully are They text-liars. be to

advised to see a “fertility “fertility a see to advised which gives you both an idealistic sense sense idealistic an both you gives which texted, but when you get there they prove prove they there get you when but texted,

to take action.… You are are You action.… take to keted with photos of smiling babies, babies, smiling of photos with keted prescription. They promised, and they they and promised, They prescription.

“Eventually you decide decide you “Eventually - blan are clinic IVF the of walls The Walgreens in Phoenix will have your your have will Phoenix in Walgreens

what she just said. just she what tainly more risky and awkward option. option. awkward and risky more tainly

hand having absolutely no fucking idea idea fucking no absolutely having hand there. You opt for the cheaper and cer and cheaper the for opt You there. -

you do. You leave with a paper in your your in paper a with leave You do. you Phoenix and fill the trigger prescription prescription trigger the fill and Phoenix

you understand. You nod that yes, yes yes yes, that nod You understand. you tance of the hotel you are staying at in in at staying are you hotel the of tance

erately and after each stanza asks you if if you asks stanza each after and erately find a Walgreens within walking dis walking within Walgreens a find - Back at Day 1, Again sorely mistaken. Recall that you are now voiced by Bruce Willis, swimming with (cont. from p. 7) “required” to have sex with your husband ease up your fallopian tubes. “Go sper- who is several thousand miles away, and mies go,” you sing to them. You eat pine- while he is planning on meeting you in apple because that’s what Jennifer the Phoenix, you will be spending the week- nurse tells you to do. She also tells you end with friends. In their house. That is there is no scientific evidence behind this. one floor. And their bedroom is right And each month that you don’t get “Quietly timed across the hall. pregnant you go on a ridiculous drink- intercourse in a friends’ Quietly timed intercourse in a friends’ ing bender, which your husband doesn’t guest room is about as guest room is about as romantic as track- comment on because, really? C’mon, say romantic as tracking the ing the changing consistencies of your something, guy. I dare you. changing consistencies vaginal mucus and then explaining the You consider if perhaps you are just of your vaginal mucus process to your husband in full detail. not meant to have a baby. “Plenty of and then explaining the kids need good homes,” you say to any- process to your husband You silently do the deed, but you in full detail.” know in your heart that nothing good one who wants to hear. You mean it, too. will come of this month’s go at it. They agree, “Of course, of course, there And this is your life now. No, not is nothing wrong with adoption.” They every month is as wildly complicated as don’t believe it themselves, though. An the first time, which might have been adopted baby won’t have your smile, or a good thing in the end. “Well at least your husband’s blue eyes, or your love of we’re not in Phoenix,” your husband says pickles. But it also won’t have your au- to you monthly on Days 12 through 15, toimmune disease or your mother’s his- 16, whatever it happens to be. It’s a nice tory of depression or your fat ankles, so break to the recurring ice of the situation. there’s that too. “Each month that Each month that passes becomes You wonder, often, if all of this, mon- passes becomes more more frustrating and lonely. You find it ey, stress, heartache, is even worth it. Ba- H frustrating and lonely. difficult to talk to your friends about the bies aren’t that great. They are actually a You find it difficult to situation, as none of them have children real pain in the ass. And breastfeeding 8 talk to your friends about and most of them aren’t even in relation- seems weird to you and poopy diapers the situation, as none of ships. You really cannot tell them that are gross. You don’t need a baby. You have them have children and you are afraid you are getting too old. a career and, more than that, dreams of a most of them aren’t even The friends that do have children have bigger career. You are incubating aspira- in relationships.” a confidence that you can’t comprehend. tions and they are almost ready to hatch. “We went through it too,” they say, but You have autonomy and opportunity and their success is only a smack in the face perky boobs. at your consistent failure. You try to find But then you get a call from your solace on infertility message boards, but nephew on the phone. “Hi Abby! We you find them irritatingly optimistic and are eating cookies.” And nothing sounds filled with annoying acronyms such as more appealing than sitting around with TTC, which you had to Google. your own kid, eating cookies on a Sun- Abby Koenig is a You make pacts with yourself on ev- day afternoon. So you call the IVF nurse playwright, journalist ery Day 9 to try harder. You cut out cof- and tell her, “Well, Jennifer, I am back at and creative writer. fee and limit your wine intake (but you Day 1, again.” Her writing appears need it to stay calm!). You are told to regularly in the Houston stop any strenuous exercise, so you stop Press and Arts + Culture your sweat-inducing boot camp class, Magazine. Her plays which doesn’t make you all that upset. have been produced in New York and Houston. You drink kombucha tea and take herbs Additionally, she is a that are supposed to promote blood flow. professor at Houston You see an acupuncturist and attempt to Community College relax with needles in your head. where she teaches Mass You try and harness the power of that

Communications and book “The Secret,” not having read it

English. or anything, and visualize happy sperm, n

n

writer Megan Cummins. Cummins. Megan writer

written for the fiction fiction the for written

poems included here were were here included poems

at UC San Diego. The The Diego. San UC at

student of creative writing writing creative of student into the portal of bleached light bleached of portal the into

He is a current graduate graduate current a is He singing remains Eurydice

HUMAN SACRIFICE.” SACRIFICE.” HUMAN

nude almost is She

titled “THE JOY OF OF JOY “THE titled

clothes singed her hair her at nip They

his poetics thesis was was thesis poetics his

instant an in her recapture to tensed are They

from UC Davis where where Davis UC from

butter was it like footprints her of

He earned an MA MA an earned He

dust red the lick dogs The

Santa Clara University. University. Clara Santa

her leading husband-image the of

California, Berkeley, and and Berkeley, California,

web black the to true stay will She

of the University of of University the of

out cry not will She

Kiik A.K. is a graduate graduate a is A.K. Kiik

glass broken in covered are steps fifteen last The

coarse more gradually become stairs The

sulfur into ignite sandals clothes, her

— The closer she comes to the living air living the to comes she closer The

light bleached of portal the into

singing is Eurydice

over acorn fruit and kitten’s tail kitten’s and fruit acorn over

dancing is Eurydice The husband has come ashore come has husband The

pollen of flutes their through wail winds The cooing is Eurydice

dead the upend could rebuild to lovers of joy the is It

dancing feet and hooves of number The particle every gathered and kissed Eurydice 9

frenzy into dust the Stamp stone a upon flour like dashed been has He

i lepers of chorus a like groan will He suffering his retrieve to

bones whale his plucking be will husband The wasp a even afford cannot he Though

below miracle the hauling are they Now him to fed coins the jostle to

roofs dirt their over back his patting is She

thundered rice white and pink — All night All ashore washed has husband The

singing are meadow the of ants The cooing is Eurydice

tail kitten’s and fruit acorn over

dancing is Eurydice

and milk into a shell a into milk and

honey pouring is Eurydice

into the maze of high grass high of maze the into joy be will There

falling is Eurydice fever be will There

spat he where from flares and rises

erupt will flowers black And floor the from sediment the All

wound the from tear will pollen black feather moths sheared Every

— mattress straw the down tamp limbs as blood of Instead

stretching electricity of calf butter the in poison the

roar a crackling, is There against gnash will lips His

skin bark-colored his on bread stale is it like

glints sweat and oil of mist A silence his on chokes husband The

sheepishly blanket the over pulled undone be can death claims one No

The husband has stripped, gone down, down, gone stripped, has husband The knot a binding than simpler is Death

shell a into milk and grass high of maze the into

honey pouring is Eurydice falling is Eurydice

by Kiik A.K. Kiik by wedding in the uncut hair of the meadow the of hair uncut the in wedding y That Utterly Inspirational Angela Carter Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter, Penguin, 1986, 304 pages, $16 Reviewed by Graham Joyce

Here’s what Angela Carter does: sets script; a deft technique; and a sly sense of “One of the most the stage in a conventional proscenium- timing. This not alaissez-faire experiment. exasperating things arch theatre. The house lights dim, and the This is craft — exuberant, caustic, volatile, about the reception of stage lights come up. Not until the hush iconoclastic, and daring — but craft. her writing is how she is has descended on the audience does she If you don’t have that craft you can’t step still critically received as emerge, and not from the wings but from out onto the wire in the way that Angela the woman who wrote the audience itself, middle row, climbing Carter does in Nights at the Circus. ‘versions of fairy tales.’” over seats with a noisy and comedic exu- One of the most exasperating things berance before finally taking her place on about the reception of her writing is how the stage. You feel startled, dislocated. Is she is still critically received as the woman this a performer? Or a lunatic? A drunk? who wrote “versions of fairy tales.” Yes, she A troublemaker? explored the fairy tale and the folk tale Anyway, that’s how I felt when I read and used them as vital energies or sources Nights at the Circus back in the 1980s, in her writing, but it misses the mark no and I instantly fell in love with her writ- less than it would to say that Shakespeare ing. She certainly wasn’t the first writer to wrote “versions of old Italian stories.” But offer the literary equivalent of breaking that is of course the part of art that is ac- the fourth wall, but she was the first writer cessible to intellectuals and academics — I’d encountered who, having broken that the part that can be rationalized, the part fourth wall, adopted the anarchic trick of that sits outside of the shadows. Whereas reassembling it again. Just so that it might it is in the shadowplay, and in the explora- H be broken a second or third or fourth time. tion of the protean, shifting, unconscious A lot of literary affectation went on in the duplicities of the human heart, that An- 10 name of postmodernism, and she didn’t gela Carter exercises her genius. buy into it. The truth is she didn’t buy into This is why folk and fairy tales made a lot of things, particularly some intellec- sense to her as frames or triggers for her tual positions where dogma crystallizes to work. These tales have infinite capacity to become an enemy of Art. be one thing and yet another, and possi- Nights at the Circus breaks many con- bly yet another, all at the same time. They ventional frames of literature. But — and have this multiple capability, and if you try this is a very important but — it doesn’t to analyze them, pace Bruno Bettelheim, posture. Carter uses a range of clever tech- you end up with a luminous skin in your niques to subvert expectations, but this is hands, but you had to kill the animal to not in any sense an “experimental” novel. get it. Carter rejected naturalism and real- The actor who climbs out of the audience ism, which she called “the low mimetic.” It may sound at first like a bag-lady, but she couldn’t work for her. It limited the scope has with her a cunning and well-rehearsed of her trawling and imagination. What’s m m m more, her dismissal of realism and natu- “She certainly wasn’t the first ralism as a “shabby mode of storytelling” writer to offer the literary was also a rejection of any notion of reason equivalent of breaking the underpinning emotional life. fourth wall, but she was the This widely celebrated book does still first writer I’d encountered infuriate and perplex many critics and who, having broken that academics. (I don’t know how current fourth wall, adopted the this detail is, but about a decade ago An- anarchic trick of reassembling gela Carter was nominated as the subject Grandmother Magma it again. Just so that it might of more PhD studies in the UK than the be broken a second or third or entirety of nineteenth century literature.)

fourth time.” As a novelist she’s a magnificent bundle

of contradictions, and while this feature n

n

- at it time the At book. a such categorize . TWOC novel, adult young

You could not then and still you can’t can’t you still and then not could You and the Angus Award for a a for Award Angus the and

Oh! Whyever wouldn’t she? wouldn’t Whyever Oh! , , Forger Master a of Memoirs

She gets into the train and comes home. home. comes and train the into gets She , and and , Fairy Tooth The Sister,

Dark Dark including novels for berge egg in which she finds a tiny train. train. tiny a finds she which in egg berge

is never merely random.” merely never is five British Fantasy Awards Awards Fantasy British five - Fa a opens Fevvers mode, Fantastique the

the state of dreaming but but dreaming of state the the World Fantasy Award, Award, Fantasy World the scene confirming that I wanted to write in in write to wanted I that confirming scene

won the O. Henry Award, Award, Henry O. the won sometimes approaches approaches sometimes blonde. In what for me was a memorable memorable a was me for what In blonde.

teaching in Britain. He has has He Britain. in teaching consciousness that that consciousness She is a six-foot-two curvaceous peroxide peroxide curvaceous six-foot-two a is She

author living, writing, and and writing, living, author fluidity, an aquatic aquatic an fluidity, is Fevvers (Cockney idiolect of Feathers). Feathers). of idiolect (Cockney Fevvers is

Graham Joyce is a fantasy fantasy a is Joyce Graham

permits a gorgeous gorgeous a permits phor. Yes her wings are real. Her nickname nickname Her real. are wings her Yes phor.

But it’s a control that that control a it’s But - meta a are wings her Yes wings. has she

“It’s all under control…. control…. under all “It’s is a trapeze artist, and and artist, trapeze a is Circus the at Nights

very serious intentions. The protagonist of of protagonist The intentions. serious very html

a deliberate dislocation of some of her her of some of dislocation deliberate a themodernword.com/scriptorium/carter.

humor at large in Carter’s writing, again again writing, Carter’s in large at humor Jeff VanderMeer’s article at: http://www. at: article VanderMeer’s Jeff

There is a rampant and promiscuous promiscuous and rampant a is There For a fine and detailed overview, look at at look overview, detailed and fine a For

ent lack of suitable sobriety. suitable of lack ent (1979). (1979). Chamber Bloody The in collected

- appar of and rationality, trumping desires I would also recommend the short stories stories short the recommend also would I

Surreal, of the Irrational, of Unconscious Unconscious of Irrational, the of Surreal, (originally published in 1984) 1984) in published (originally Circus the at

seriousness.”

had with the author’s celebration of the the of celebration author’s the with had Nights Nights to addition in work, Carter’s ­ Angela

of tight-arsed high- tight-arsed of

there was this...problem...that the judges judges the this...problem...that was there Note: If you are not familiar with with familiar not are you If Note:

an unwritten British code code British unwritten an

listed for the Booker prize of that year, but but year, that of prize Booker the for listed

for transgressions against against transgressions for

that this book could not have been even even been have not could book this that magnificent beast. magnificent

forgiveness or permission permission or forgiveness

three decades.) It seems to me impossible impossible me to seems It decades.) three fleece; but you will never, never have the the have never never, will you but fleece;

literature as a kind of of kind a as literature

Amis. (Not much change there then, in in then, there change much (Not Amis. end up holding a fascinating and beautiful beautiful and fascinating a holding up end

to some postcolonial postcolonial some to

Barnes, and and Barnes, ­ McEwan, always preferring it, PhD or this or that ideology. You may even even may You ideology. that or this or PhD

11

that was also attached attached also was that

as the French define define French the as Fantastique the of tion you like. You can try to get it to fit into a a into fit to it get to try can You like. you

Realism, a designation designation a Realism,

i - contamina any to allergic were who scene, all all Circus the at Nights analyze can You

leaf label of Magical Magical of label leaf

appointed literary aristocracy of the British British the of aristocracy literary appointed breathtaking fertility of her writing. her of fertility breathtaking

…it attracted the fig fig the attracted …it

she never got that recognition from the self- the from recognition that got never she random. Maybe that’s the secret of the the of secret the that’s Maybe random.

British scene. British

cancer). Even with this astonishing book book astonishing this with Even cancer). the state of dreaming but is never merely merely never is but dreaming of state the

literary aristocracy of the the of aristocracy literary

smoker, she was 52 when she died of lung lung of died she when 52 was she smoker, consciousness that sometimes approaches approaches sometimes that consciousness

from the self-appointed self-appointed the from

at the end of her rather short life (a heavy heavy (a life short rather her of end the at that permits a gorgeous fluidity, an aquatic aquatic an fluidity, gorgeous a permits that

never got…recognition got…recognition never

recognition she deserved, though that was was that though deserved, she recognition under control, after all. But it’s a control control a it’s But all. after control, under

astonishing book she she book astonishing

nally brought Angela Carter some of the the of some Carter Angela brought nally these switches as a rhetorical device. It’s all all It’s device. rhetorical a as switches these

“Even with this this with “Even

- fi that novel the is Circus the at Nights Angela Carter, on examination, introduces introduces examination, on Carter, Angela

fearless. — be to it find still and writer you would excise them at once; but but once; at them excise would you writer

— — be to it found I writing of way a As switches in the work of a young or aspiring aspiring or young a of work the in switches

­honesty. in a writing workshop you found these these found you workshop writing a in

are prized by Angela Carter as badges of of badges as Carter Angela by prized are sition. Sometimes her tenses change. If If change. tenses her Sometimes sition.

on it goes. Ambiguity and ambivalence ambivalence and Ambiguity goes. it on same principle manifests in her compo her in manifests principle same -

distinction or value judgment. On and and On judgment. value or distinction hand. Maybe I’m too controlling. But the the But controlling. too I’m Maybe hand.

to Low Forms and cherishes all without without all cherishes and Forms Low to lient prose style that for me gets out of of out gets me for that style prose lient

on men; she swings from High Culture Culture High from swings she men; on She went for a lyrical, verbose, and ebul and verbose, lyrical, a for went She -

voluptuary who likes to turn the tables tables the turn to likes who voluptuary led me to try to write like Angela Carter. Carter. Angela like write to try to me led

jectification of women, but she is a sexual sexual a is she but women, of jectification I can’t say that this extraordinary book book extraordinary this that say can’t I

her genius.” her

oppression; she rails against the sexual ob sexual the against rails she oppression; - had no respect for borders of any kind. of borders for respect no had

Angela Carter exercises exercises Carter Angela

sciously want to collude with their own own their with collude to want sciously was nothing if not an Internationalist. She She Internationalist. an not if nothing was

of the human heart, that that heart, human the of

in which women deliberately or uncon or deliberately women which in - preposterous, and anyway Angela Carter Carter Angela anyway and preposterous,

unconscious duplicities duplicities unconscious

in that she will keep pointing to the ways ways the to pointing keep will she that in arsed high-seriousness. But the label was was label the But high-seriousness. arsed

protean, shifting, shifting, protean,

nist, but she dismays some feminist critics critics feminist some dismays she but nist, against an unwritten British code of tight- of code British unwritten an against

exploration of the the of exploration

instrumental reason; she is a fierce femi fierce a is she reason; instrumental - forgiveness or permission for transgressions transgressions for permission or forgiveness

play, and in the the in and play,

intellectual, but she rejects the tyranny of of tyranny the rejects she but intellectual, to some postcolonial literature as a kind of of kind a as literature postcolonial some to

“[I]t is in the shadow the in is “[I]t ­

it as something to be celebrated. She’s an an She’s celebrated. be to something as it ism, a designation that was also attached attached also was that designation a ism,

plagues some of her critics she regarded regarded she critics her of some plagues tracted the fig leaf label of Magical Real Magical of label leaf fig the tracted - y A Difficult Warmth al ecosystem has emerged, with niches for everyone. It’s a milieu that Shit has been Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, by Samuel R. Delany, “raised to”: he has been happily having sex April 2012, Magnus Books, 816 pages, $21.95 with his Dad, and with adult friends and neighbors, for as long as he can remember. Reviewed by Victoria Garcia Shit welcomes Eric into his life, and together they use sex to explore their This novel tells the story of two working-­ world. It is a way of building community, “The book combines class men, one black and one white, who and way of getting to know themselves a mainstream literary have sex, fall in love, and then spend the and each other. The novel’s first 450 pages sensibility with rest of their lives together. Over the course consist largely of pornographic vignettes. speculative moments of the book, the two share jobs, homes, ex- Often, the scenes are between Eric, Shit, and a truckload of traordinary sexual adventures, and a place and Dynamite; sometimes other colorful uncompromising in the heart of a unique, intentional gay Dump residents are involved. People tend pornography.” community. The book combines a main- to narrate their sexual encounters as they stream literary sensibility with speculative have them — explaining to each other what moments and a truckload of uncompro- they’re doing; why they’re doing it; who mising pornography. taught it to them; and how it makes them The protagonist, Eric, is sixteen years feel. (In these voiceovers, one can sense the old at the novel’s start and shares a small distilled erotic wisdom of a truly ambitious Atlanta apartment with his father. Eric’s lifetime, though at times, they do make the life (like the first half of the book) is ut- book seem more like a series of instruc- terly focused on sex. And though Eric’s tional homilies than a novel.) key turn-ons are well beyond the main- The action in these vignettes can be stream — snot-eating, urine-drinking, and hard to get through. (In addition to the smegma-seeking all feature — Eric is com- incest, snot, and urolagia, there is, inter pletely accepting of himself and of the alia, bestiality, extreme raceplay, and a H homeless men from whom he gains both strangely sentimental coprophagia scene.) knowledge and physical joy. But despite this, the lessons that the char- 12 Delany demands a similar level of ac- acters learn from their encounters are ceptance from his readers. surprisingly gentle — perhaps excessively A move to his mother’s home in a town so. Characters occasionally push them- called Diamond Harbor begins Eric’s life selves past previous erotic boundaries, in earnest. On the way there, Eric takes but there’s very little conflict beyond that. part in an ecstatically polyvalent hookup Shit’s sexual relationship with his father is in a truck stop men’s room. During this curiously uncomplicated. Integrating Eric interlude, Eric meets a nineteen-year-old into that relationship is similarly uncom- boy, whose chosen name is Shit, and an plicated. The characters are simply doing older man named Dynamite, who is both what makes them happy and what brings Shit’s father and his lifelong lover. The two happiness to those around them. In a read- run the town’s garbage pick-up service, ing and Q&A for the book (http://www. and soon Eric begins to work with the youtube.com/watch?v=H3Pdxp7QD78) pair and becomes part of their family, both Delany describes it as “a fairy tale,” and I emotionally and sexually. would agree with that. There’s a feeling of The setting for this is a utopian space — indulgence in the narrative here. Given the a region within a coastal Georgia town incest dimension, some readers may find that has been set aside by a shadowy phi- this disingenuous or distasteful; others will lanthropist as a place where low-income, find it horribly, horribly triggering. gay, black men can live for free. This area, But for readers who do make it through which is called “The Dump,” is home to a all of this, there really is a reward. cooperative vegetable farm and a strange The death of Shit’s father at the book’s yet goodhearted band of locals with a midpoint is genuinely moving. It’s the first

Reviews peaceably anarchic sexual code. In The time in the story that Eric and Shit expe- Dump and its environs, erotic life is lived rience real distress, and it’s the first event

in the open, and from the assembled kinks to seriously threaten their closeness. In the

and quirks of its residents, a complex sexu- aftermath, Shit breaks down, and Eric is n

n

fiction selections might equally support support equally might selections fiction hibit, while “Shift” is reprinted from the the from reprinted is “Shift” while hibit,

Cont. on p. 14 p. on Cont.

about Hopkinson’s work. However the the However work. Hopkinson’s about - ex Museum Whitney a for novel” tion

this intervention is what is most radical radical most is what is intervention this - fic science “faux a as published originally

therefore might be taken as implying that that implying as taken be might therefore a Bottle” is a revision of an obscure work work obscure an of revision a is Bottle” a

the Literature of the Fantastic.” The book book The Fantastic.” the of Literature the time readers of Hopkinson. “Message in in “Message Hopkinson. of readers time

in the Arts, where the topic was “Race in in “Race was topic the where Arts, the in - long for even cost the worth well book

International Conference of the Fantastic Fantastic the of Conference International , make the present present the make , Folk Skin collection

the Fantastic.’” the

keynote speaker, presented at the 2009 2009 the at presented speaker, keynote previously included in Hopkinson’s story story Hopkinson’s in included previously

‘Race in the Literature of of Literature the in ‘Race

and fantasy fields that Hopkinson, as a a as Hopkinson, that fields fantasy and and also the fiction selections, neither neither selections, fiction the also and

Arts, where the topic was was topic the where Arts,

on race and racism in the science fiction fiction science the in racism and race on title, I want to stress that the interview interview the that stress to want I title,

of the Fantastic in the the in Fantastic the of

markable hybrid talk/performance piece piece talk/performance hybrid markable performance that gives this volume its its volume this gives that performance

International Conference Conference International

- re the Midnight,” Planet from “Report is While I will focus here on the talk/ the on here focus will I While

presented at the 2009 2009 the at presented

The centerpiece of the present volume volume present the of centerpiece The misreading. potential

as a keynote speaker, speaker, keynote a as

vocative or transgressive. or vocative lection goes some way to offsetting that that offsetting to way some goes lection

fields that Hopkinson, Hopkinson, that fields

- pro is what of sense general more a in it’s - col this for conducted Bisson and son

science fiction and fantasy fantasy and fiction science

is meant in a political sense, but sometimes sometimes but sense, political a in meant is - Hopkin between interview the of nature

race and racism in the the in racism and race

radical about the work. Usually “outspoken” “outspoken” Usually work. the about radical that intervention only. The wide-ranging wide-ranging The only. intervention that

performance piece on on piece performance

contextualize what is most “outspoken” or or “outspoken” most is what contextualize “outspokenness” of Hopkinson’s work to to work Hopkinson’s of “outspokenness”

remarkable hybrid talk/ hybrid remarkable

and nonfiction, essays and interviews, to to interviews, and essays nonfiction, and wanting to caution against reducing the the reducing against caution to wanting

from Planet Midnight,’ the the Midnight,’ Planet from

for the series seems to be to combine fiction fiction combine to be to seems series the for or rather because of its value, I find myself myself find I value, its of because rather or

present volume is ‘Report ‘Report is volume present

tions to diverse bodies of work, the concept concept the work, of bodies diverse to tions tance of “Report from Planet Midnight,” Midnight,” Planet from “Report of tance

“The centerpiece of the the of centerpiece “The

- introduc full as serve to short too are tions - impor the Despite sexuality. and race

- collec these Though strongest. the of one is investigation of the intersection between between intersection the of investigation

ken Authors series, edited by Terry Bisson, Bisson, Terry by edited series, Authors ken in her critique of sexual norms and her her and norms sexual of critique her in

- Outspo Press’s PM in volume latest This a reading of Hopkinson as “outspoken” “outspoken” as Hopkinson of reading a

Reviewed by Thomas Foster Thomas by Reviewed

13

Midnight, Planet from Report by Nalo Hopkinson, PM Press, 2012, 112 pages, $12.00 pages, 112 2012, Press, PM Hopkinson, Nalo by i

y acial Norms and SFF Critiques: Who Does the Work? the Does Who Critiques: SFF and Norms acial R

reader, you have to work hard to get there. get to hard work to have you reader, chunky but agile little dog. little agile but chunky

but as a a as but — the uniqueness of each of the relationships relationships the of each of uniqueness the love. It’s shockingly good stuff good shockingly It’s love. creator John Aegard, and a a and Aegard, John creator

her husband, comics comics husband, her in these passages that Delany best honors honors best Delany that passages these in of well-honed perversity and time-tested time-tested and perversity well-honed of

She lives in Seattle with with Seattle in lives She tive, the bouts of mourning never are. It’s It’s are. never mourning of bouts the tive, speculation is interleaved with depictions depictions with interleaved is speculation

and elsewhere. elsewhere. and Review, - duplica feel sometimes passages sexual are the best parts. Beautifully restrained restrained Beautifully parts. best the are

Indiana Indiana the , Polyphony in Deaths become more frequent, and if the the if and frequent, more become Deaths feels like home. These last parts, in sum, sum, in parts, last These home. like feels

fiction has been published published been has fiction each other’s quirks. They fight sometimes. sometimes. fight They quirks. other’s each finally, in a wholly alien world that still still that world alien wholly a in finally,

Victoria Elisabeth Garcia’s Garcia’s Elisabeth Victoria Eric learn to respect, and to work around, around, work to and respect, to learn Eric possibly randy lives, we find ourselves, ourselves, find we lives, randy possibly

non-erotic parts of their world. Shit and and Shit world. their of parts non-erotic to the ends of their long, loving, and im and loving, long, their of ends the to -

to participate in their experience of the the of experience their in participate to and as we follow Shit and Eric through through Eric and Shit follow we as and

both for the better and for the worse, and and worse, the for and better the for both barbecue. Small changes agglomerate, agglomerate, changes Small barbecue.

get there.” get

evolution of Shit and Eric’s community, community, Eric’s and Shit of evolution the space program is celebrated with a a with celebrated is program space the

you have to work hard to to hard work to have you

fun. We also get more chances to see the the see to chances more get also We fun. sends refugees their way. The revival of of revival The way. their refugees sends

but as a reader, reader, a as but — stuff

struction, and as a result, they’re a lot more more lot a they’re result, a as and struction, the laundry. A chain of nuclear disasters disasters nuclear of chain A laundry. the

“It’s shockingly good good shockingly “It’s

- in delivering about less and character ing jobs easier and helps Eric keep up with with up keep Eric helps and easier jobs

- explor about more be to seem now they able. Nanotechnology makes construction construction makes Nanotechnology able.

scenes are still frequent and inventive, but but inventive, and frequent still are scenes women becomes common and accept and common becomes women -

unwashed cocks and piss-drinking. The sex sex The piss-drinking. and cocks unwashed days and social lives. Toplessness among among Toplessness lives. social and days still feels like home.” like feels still

tive matures. It is no longer a solid wall of of wall solid a longer no is It matures. tive - work their of fabric the altering quietly a wholly alien world that that world alien wholly a

And as Shit and Eric age, their narra their age, Eric and Shit as And - greater world still seep through to them, them, to through seep still world greater find ourselves, finally, in in finally, ourselves, find

becomes something truly powerful. truly something becomes logical bleeding edge, changes in the the in changes edge, bleeding logical impossibly randy lives, we we lives, randy impossibly

between the partners is less puppy-like and and puppy-like less is partners the between living far from the cultural and techno and cultural the from far living - of their long, loving, and and loving, long, their of

sections that follow, the love and warmth warmth and love the follow, that sections Though Shit and Eric are rural people, people, rural are Eric and Shit Though Eric through to the ends ends the to through Eric

Shit and his father were to each other. In the the In other. each to were father his and Shit friend, Eric starts to read Spinoza. to starts Eric friend, “[A]s we follow Shit and and Shit follow we “[A]s

forced to confront the enormity of what what of enormity the confront to forced between his characters. On the advice of a a of advice the On characters. his between Racial Norms “New Wave Fabulism” special issue of the ended by commenting on this event, not- and SFF Critiques journal Conjunctions. “Message in a Bottle” ing that “what was already loaded became (cont. from p. 13) exemplifies Hopkinson’s engagement with outright trigger-happy.” She was explicit contemporary science fiction, as the story in her partisan position, describing white offers a vision of the future defined by a people as having instigated RaceFail ’09. posthuman ideology called “speciesism,” In the published version, Hopkinson adds which regards shellfish as great artists. The an introduction in which she describes origins of this ideology are traced back, herself as being “so scared and angry that however, to “the nascent identity politics I couldn’t write my speech” until she had a as expressed by artists of the twentieth “bolt of inspiration” and decided to script a and twenty-first centuries.” Rather than performance instead. regarding differences between humans, To me, Hopkinson’s performative strat- like race, as having been superseded and egy recalls the “reverse ethnographic” tech- “The context for rendered obsolete by species differences niques of performance artists like Coco Hopkinson’s ‘Report from or animal rights, this story sees them as Fusco and Guillermo Gomez-Pena. After Planet Midnight’ talk at continuous. This version of posthumanism thanking the organizers for focusing on the ICFA conference was is not in any simple way postracial, in di- race and the fantastic and inviting her to RaceFail ’09, the Internet rect contradiction to the tendency toward speak, Hopkinson immediately interrupts controversy/flame war over a “backlash against identity politics” that herself, just as she is about to explain “the race and racism in SFF.” Coco Fusco locates in challenges to “the first thing I want to say.” She then acts out integrity of the human organism as the the process of being used, or offering her- basis of identity.” This story combines an self, as a “horse” — one who acts as a ve- unremarked treatment of nonwhite char- hicle for a possessing spirit — for an alien acters as the norm with a critique of the observer of human racial norms and rheto- heteronormative assumption that children rics. This is the first example of what she represent futurity, as the Indian narrator describes in her introduction as a “culture-­ learns that the adopted child of a pair of jamming of references from fantasy, sci- H friends is more than she seems. ence fiction, and linguistic and cultural As a rewriting of the story of Caliban, references from the American and Carib- 14 Ariel, and Sycorax from Shakespeare’s The bean part of the African diaspora,” most Tempest, “Shift” exemplifies both Hopkin- obviously Vodoun or Santeria. Marking son’s more literary side and also how her her difference from herself by looking at fiction draws on Caribbean culture and her own hands in surprise, and then going postcolonial perspectives, given the Latin- on to ironically describe “riding on the American tradition of reading Caliban as head of this horse” as the only way she “In the published version, a dominant British figuration of the na- could find to “communicate directly with Hopkinson adds an tive or the islander by critics like Roberto you,” this alien voice announces that she introduction in which she Fernandez Retamar. Hopkinson’s story comes “from another planet,” where they describes herself as being emphasizes the relation between sexuality have been receiving “broadcasts that seem “so scared and angry that I and race, with Caliban finding a specular intended for us;” they have been unable to couldn’t write my speech” relation with white women, in which he is decide whether these broadcasts are “ges- until she had a “bolt of transformed into the image of their desire, tures of friendship, or of aggression.” inspiration” and decided a relation that is ultimately ended by one This alien point of view functions in to script a performance of these women herself. a complex way. Sometimes, in classic instead.” The context for Hopkinson’s “Report SFnal fashion, it operates as a form of from Planet Midnight” talk at the ICFA estrangement, an alternative external to conference was RaceFail ’09, the Internet contemporary North American forms of controversy/flame war over race and rac- race-thinking. This emphasis is most ob- ism in SFF. These sometimes very angry vious in the long final section of the per- online exchanges dramatized not only the formative part of the talk, when the alien problem of racism within the field but also asks for clarification of phrases drawn the problem of even talking about it. They from the RaceFail debates (like “I’m not made any attempt to address the place of racist”) and explains how they translate on race in the literature of the fantastic even her planet. This section of the performance

more fraught than it might otherwise emphasizes alienness in order to imagine a

have been. In the original talk Hopkinson perspective innocent of our racial/racist as- n

n

voices, sometimes an alien’s and sometimes sometimes and alien’s an sometimes voices, Cont. on p. 16 p. on Cont.

formance presents her as possessed by two two by possessed as her presents formance offers for doing so. doing for offers

- per the that suggestion my and Folks,” done and also what basis the genre itself itself genre the basis what also and done

Hopkinson’s T-shirt, “Speaker to White White to “Speaker T-shirt, Hopkinson’s and fantasy in ways that haven’t yet been been yet haven’t that ways in fantasy and

an anthropologist, and this returns us to to us returns this and anthropologist, an raised as an issue within science fiction fiction science within issue an as raised

social structures.” social of being treated as a native informant by by informant native a as treated being of sets out to show why race still needs to be be to needs still race why show to out sets

our implication in racist racist in implication our has compared this dilemma to the problem problem the to dilemma this compared has be articulated. The performance therefore therefore performance The articulated. be

analyze ourselves and and ourselves analyze ceived by and signifies for others. Spivak Spivak others. for signifies and by ceived color and a demonstration of how they can can they how of demonstration a and color

auto-ethnographically auto-ethnographically - per is she how occupies, she resentation lated with the perspectives of authors of of authors of perspectives the with lated

therefore requires us to to us requires therefore - rep of space the visible make to how is, - articu be to need representations fictional

informants for her and and her for informants that that — of race, a commentary on why science- why on commentary a race, of lectual within first-world contexts first-world within lectual

to function as native native as function to fictional techniques for the representation representation the for techniques fictional - intel postcolonial the of dilemma the as

“The alien asks us us asks alien “The both the value and the limits of science science of limits the and value the both Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak has described described has Spivak Chakravorty Gayatri

is intended as an implicit commentary on on commentary implicit an as intended is uniquely SFnal way of addressing what what addressing of way SFnal uniquely

I believe this doubleness is deliberate and and deliberate is doubleness this believe I Hopkinson’s performance is also a a also is performance Hopkinson’s

sometimes it repeats and reiterates them. them. reiterates and repeats it sometimes analyses of racism. of analyses

actual color lines and racial categories, and and categories, racial and lines color actual bates, to dismiss systemic or structural structural or systemic dismiss to bates,

the alien point of view rejects and alienates alienates and rejects view of point alien the - de RaceFail the within tendency, the to

“Speaker to White Folks”). Sometimes, Sometimes, Folks”). White to “Speaker shit don’t stink.” Hopkinson here returns returns here Hopkinson stink.” don’t shit

her shirt to reveal a T-shirt that reads reads that T-shirt a reveal to shirt her it on me,” and, on a secondary level, “My “My level, secondary a on and, me,” on it

of the performance Hopkinson removed removed Hopkinson performance the of wade through feces without getting any of of any getting without feces through wade

tive of racial otherness (at the beginning beginning the (at otherness racial of tive tion of “I’m not racist” into, first, “I can can “I first, into, racist” not “I’m of tion

- representa a is, that — Planet Midnight Planet - transla the of fond especially was I race.

offers for doing so.” doing for offers a version of herself as a representative of of representative a as herself of version a rebuttal to attempts to dismiss talk about about talk dismiss to attempts to rebuttal

basis the genre itself itself genre the basis by an alien perspective and sometimes by by sometimes and perspective alien an by vide a hilarious, blunt, and demystifying demystifying and blunt, hilarious, a vide

been done and also what what also and done been estrangement. Sometimes, she is possessed possessed is she Sometimes, estrangement. - pro troubling are they why of planations

ways that haven’t yet yet haven’t that ways

sessing her, rather than emphasizing that that emphasizing than rather her, sessing - ex and planet alien’s the on mean to taken 15

fiction and fantasy in in fantasy and fiction - pos voice the and herself between ences The translations of what these phrases are are phrases these what of translations The

an issue within science science within issue an i - differ the down breaks Hopkinson point, we’ll all interbreed and become postracial.” postracial.” become and interbreed all we’ll

still needs to be raised as as raised be to needs still ing the performance with its title. At this this At title. its with performance the ing tually this race stuff won’t matter, because because matter, won’t stuff race this tually

out to show why race race why show to out - provid Midnight,” of Planet “The into ber - “Even and one,” universal a is story “This

“The performance…sets performance…sets “The - Rob Midnight turns title Italian the irony, ing troubling phrases like “I’m not racist,” racist,” not “I’m like phrases troubling ing

aliens released into our world; in a further further a in world; our into released aliens - cit discourse, racial on commentary direct

describing her novel as a document the the document a as novel her describing From here the alien moves into a more more a into moves alien the here From

“European features and straight hair,” and and hair,” straight and features “European its treatment of the topic. the of treatment its

depicts a blue-skinned protagonist with with protagonist blue-skinned a depicts with “interspecies conflict” and as limited in in limited as and conflict” “interspecies with

, whose cover cover whose , Robber Midnight novel, first literally, the field is read both as saturated saturated as both read is field the literally,

slide of the Italian edition of Hopkinson’s Hopkinson’s of edition Italian the of slide niques to SFF, by reading fantastic imagery imagery fantastic reading by SFF, to niques

cross-cultural translation by showing a a showing by translation cross-cultural - tech SFnal applying of example another

larly, the alien dramatizes the problem of of problem the dramatizes alien the larly, of dealing with interspecies conflict.” In In conflict.” interspecies with dealing of

racial otherness…” racial

- Simi none.’” be won’t there none, start and mythologizing are your only methods methods only your are mythologizing and

is, a representative of of representative a is,

ethnocultural groups might say, ‘Don’t ‘Don’t say, might groups ethnocultural to learn whether imprisonment, extinction, extinction, imprisonment, whether learn to

that that — of Planet Midnight Planet of

aggression by noting that “as one of our our of one “as that noting by aggression ize why it is of extreme importance to us us to importance extreme of is it why ize

herself as a representative representative a as herself

science fiction field, imply friendship or or friendship imply field, fiction science the truth of the matter, we’re sure you real you sure we’re matter, the of truth the -

sometimes by a version of of version a by sometimes

terracial relations,” especially within the the within especially relations,” terracial our literature. She concludes that “whatever “whatever that concludes She literature. our

alien perspective and and perspective alien

“the stories you tell each other about in about other each tell you stories “the - have done to them, that they appear appear they that them, to done have in in only

she is possessed by an an by possessed is she

also follows up the question of whether whether of question the up follows also such people and worrying about what we we what about worrying and people such

estrangement. Sometimes, Sometimes, estrangement.

to herself as the alien’s horse. But the alien alien the But horse. alien’s the as herself to imagery, all assuming the actual existence of of existence actual the assuming all imagery,

than emphasizing that that emphasizing than

can diasporic, most obviously by referring referring by obviously most diasporic, can posed on her planet to explain this kind of of kind this explain to planet her on posed

possessing her, rather rather her, possessing

- Afri the and perspective alien the lapses - pro theories of number a outlines alien

herself and the voice voice the and herself

other points, Hopkinson deliberately col deliberately Hopkinson points, other - blue skin,” from Smurfs to X-Men. The The X-Men. to Smurfs from skin,” blue

the differences between between differences the

groups on our own planet”). However, at at However, planet”). own our on groups in your literature to magical people with with people magical to literature your in

“Hopkinson breaks down down breaks “Hopkinson

the collision of cultures...even between between cultures...even of collision the of the “preponderance of wistful references references wistful of “preponderance the of

that they’ve had “bad experiences with with experiences “bad had they’ve that the slide show that follows, with examples examples with follows, that show slide the

though the alien also begins by explaining explaining by begins also alien the though sympathetic point about SFF is made by by made is SFF about point sympathetic

sumptions, so we can see them afresh (even (even afresh them see can we so sumptions, A similar, simultaneously critical and and critical simultaneously similar, A Racial Norms the voice she is expected to assume for her When the alien “leaves” and Hopkin- and SFF Critiques talk as a representative of blackness. In con- son resumes as herself, removing the T- (cont. from p. 15) trast, as the alien points out in translating shirt that labels her as a speaker to white the term “Ethnic” as meaning “Those quaint folks, she goes on to develop the idea of and somewhat primitive people over there,” the centrality of race to science fiction in Thomas Foster is a on her planet everyone has an ethnicity; general by arguing that “one of the things Professor of English at the there is no unmarked norm. Hopkinson’s fantasy and science fiction do is to imagi- University of Washington, performance contests this process of turn- natively address the core problem of who Seattle, where he teaches ing marginalized peoples into native infor- does the work.” Noting that, especially in courses on science fiction mants by reversing the relation of knower North America, labor is often racialized or and comics, among and known, subject and object. The alien ethnicized, she concludes that “one of the other topics. He is the asks us to function as native informants things that fantasy and science fiction do is author of The Souls of for her and therefore requires us to auto- to use mythmaking to examine and explore Cyberfolk: Posthumanism ethnographically analyze ourselves and our socioeconomically configured ethnoracial as Vernacular Theory and implication in racist social structures. It is power imbalances.” Hopkinson demon- a contributor to Reload: that potential for auto-ethnogr­ aphy that strates how this work of “mythmaking” can Women + Technoculture, the performance seems to me to present as be a double-edged sword, how it can both The Routledge Companion a resource SFF particularly offers for think- challenge and reproduce racial norms, and to Science Fiction, and The ing about race and racism. she therefore points toward an ongoing, Oxford Handbook to Science anti-racist labor that requires shared effort Fiction. from everyone invested in the field.

y Dream Harvesting in a Superbly Fashioned World The Killing Moon, by N.K. Jemisin, Orbit, 404 pages, $14.99 US/$16.50 Canada Reviewed by Ebony Thomas H This book is fucking phenomenal! The are commissioned to collect the souls, or 16 latest fantasy by the winner of the 2010 tithes of “dream humors,” from sleeping Locus Award for Best First Novel is the citizens who have been judged corrupt by “The author has created The Killing Moon, and it is utterly addictive. members of the goddess’s temple. The liv- a world of spectacular The author has created a world of spectac- ing may visit the land as well — but only visual stimulation.” ular visual stimulation. A world much like for a brief period during sleep. The dead, Ancient Egypt but vastly different. A world however, dwell there in perpetuity. It is the where two moons rise every night — the harvesting of the citizens’ dreams and the Waking Moon and the Dreaming Moon. use of magic that ensures peace and heals Jemisin writes about characters who are the populace. truly intriguing; the reader will crave the Ehiru, a most loyal servant of Hananja back story for each one. and seasoned Gatherer, comes to question “Jemisin writes about In the city state of Gujaareh, also known said loyalty while performing his duty of col- characters who are truly as the City of Dreams, the goddess Hanan- lecting the commission (soul) of a foreigner. intriguing; the reader ja is worshipped. Hananja is one of the di- Unexpectedly, Ehiru is told of a “truth say- will crave the backstory vine children of the Dreaming Moon and ing” by the foreigner. A truth saying that for each one.… Sun. She is the goddess of dreams and is challenges Ehiru’s way of life and pushes The story follows three also associated with death and the afterlife. him further to the precipice of becoming main characters, all The story follows three main characters, all what he fears most, a tainted ­Reaper. of whose lives collide of whose lives collide in the unfolding of a We first get an up-close-and-personal in the unfolding of conspiracy to take control of the city. interaction with the dream world through a conspiracy to take Gatherers (that’s the title of those in one the muddled collecting of this foreigner’s control of the city.” of the four paths of service to Hananja) soul. In Ina-Karekh, the soul reveals the are responsible for enforcing Hananja’s inner most desire of its host. It was truly Law — the Law that governs the city and a joy to become a part of a superbly fash- whose principal tenet is peace. Gather- ioned imaginary world filled with bright

ers shepherd souls into Ina-Karekh, the colors and intertwined with the perspec-

Land of Dreams. In addition Gatherers tive of the soul being collected. “And here n

n

“The Erdmann Nexus,” reexamines the the reexamines Nexus,” Erdmann “The powerful and engrossing. and powerful Cont. on p. 18 p. on Cont.

novellas. The opener, Hugo Award-winner Award-winner Hugo opener, The novellas. (youth = overmind) makes the novella novella the makes overmind) = (youth

strongest works, a pair of award-winning award-winning of pair a works, strongest trope trope Human Than More / End Childhood’s

The collection opens and closes with its its with closes and opens collection The ing, Kress’s sympathetic inversion of the the of inversion sympathetic Kress’s ing,

. 2 Forward - unsurpris is twist human-exceptionalism

Fast Fast anthology the and , Magazine Fantasy suspect subplot seems unnecessary, and the the and unnecessary, seems subplot suspect

, , Universe Baen’s Jim in also but , Magazine reality. While the abuse-victim-as-murder- the While reality.

Asimov’s SF SF Asimov’s in mostly (2007-2009), years thoughts merge and their wishes change change wishes their and merge thoughts

fiction) published over the course of two two of course the over published fiction) the counterintuitive dots as the characters’ characters’ the as dots counterintuitive the

range, assembling fiction (mostly science science (mostly fiction assembling range, physicist, Dr. Henry Erdmann, connects connects Erdmann, Henry Dr. physicist,

, demonstrates her impressive impressive her demonstrates , Age of tain mystical? A brilliant ninety-something ninety-something brilliant A mystical?

- Foun collection, newest and ninth Her ries intruding into awareness? Are they they Are awareness? into intruding ries novellas.”

ers. She’s also one of our best. our of one also She’s ers. - memo old they Are senescence? nascent pair of award-winning award-winning of pair

- writ story short and novelists acclaimed events. Are these the result of strokes or or strokes of result the these Are events. strongest works, a a works, strongest

prolific, most popular, and most critically critically most and popular, most prolific, to experience strange, transient mental mental transient strange, experience to and closes with its its with closes and

becoming one of science fiction’s most most fiction’s science of one becoming ants of an assisted-living facility begin begin facility assisted-living an of ants “The collection opens opens collection “The

four Nebula Awards. She’s on her way to to way her on She’s Awards. Nebula four - inhabit the as theory, consciousness and

Memorial Award, two Hugo Awards, and and Awards, Hugo two Award, Memorial neurology, biochemistry, quantum physics, physics, quantum biochemistry, neurology,

Memorial Award, the John W. Campbell Campbell W. John the Award, Memorial of recent discoveries and hypotheses in in hypotheses and discoveries recent of

Kress has collected the Theodore Sturgeon Sturgeon Theodore the collected has Kress or gestalt consciousness through the lens lens the through consciousness gestalt or

Since her 1976 fiction debut, Nancy Nancy debut, fiction 1976 her Since well-known sf concept of the group mind mind group the of concept sf well-known

Reviewed by Cynthia Ward Cynthia by Reviewed

300 pages, $16.00, Ebook, $9.95 Ebook, $16.00, pages, 300

Fountain of Age, Age, of Fountain 2012, April Press, Beer Small Kress, Nancy by stories

17

y utting Edge Science and the Human Heart Human the and Science Edge utting C

i

Shadowed Sun. Shadowed

Sunandi nearly becomes a victim herself, as as herself, victim a becomes nearly Sunandi The The book, sister forthcoming the as well

foul play at work in the guidance of souls, souls, of guidance the in work at play foul as as Moon Killing The recommend highly

Magazine.

motherland of Kisua. Upon discovering discovering Upon Kisua. of motherland fairly new to the genre, as I am, I would would I am, I as genre, the to new fairly

and subscribes to Ms. Ms. to subscribes and

the council of elders that rules Gujaareh’s Gujaareh’s rules that elders of council the stand the flow of the book. Even if you are are you if Even book. the of flow the stand

She’s active on Facebook Facebook on active She’s

— — Protectorate the of Voice the as jaareh - under to me helped It book. the of back

the mother of a fine boy. boy. fine a of mother the

- Gu to assigned is maiden, a Sunandi, terms that the author has provided at the the at provided has author the that terms

University in Seattle and and Seattle in University

the love is not shared. not is love the ful to commit to memory the glossary of of glossary the memory to commit to ful

graduate of Antioch Antioch of graduate

aware of Nijiri’s feelings for him and yet yet and him for feelings Nijiri’s of aware - use it found reader this least, the in thor

Ebony Thomas is a a is Thomas Ebony

thing to keep him protected. Ehiru is quite quite is Ehiru protected. him keep to thing come across. With no reflection on the au the on reflection no With across. come -

with his master and is willing to do any do to willing is and master his with - this has been the densest book that I have have I that book densest the been has this

Nijiri is genuinely and sincerely in love love in sincerely and genuinely is Nijiri tion to the science fiction/fantasy genre, genre, fiction/fantasy science the to tion

Their relationship is one of complexities; complexities; of one is relationship Their have to say that since my recent introduc recent my since that say to have -

prentice, deeply devoted to his master. master. his to devoted deeply prentice, This gripping tale is one of a duology. I I duology. a of one is tale gripping This

- ap Gatherer young Ehiru’s is Nijiri belief system, she is a true heroine. true a is she system, belief

groping hands.” (p. 8) (p. hands.” groping Ehiru and Nijiri do. Guided by her own own her by Guided do. Nijiri and Ehiru

walls lined with countless disembodied, disembodied, countless with lined walls is unafraid to express her hatred for what what for hatred her express to unafraid is has provided…” has

into a great yawning pit in the earth, its its earth, the in pit yawning great a into outlook. Not one to hold her tongue, she she tongue, her hold to one Not outlook. of terms which the author author the which terms of

Ina-Karekh, these hungers had coalesced coalesced had hungers these Ina-Karekh, vant girl. Sunnandi provides a distinctive distinctive a provides Sunnandi girl. vant to memory the glossary glossary the memory to

name. Reflected in the dreamscapes of of dreamscapes the in Reflected name. are confirmed with the death of her ser her of death the with confirmed are - found it useful to commit commit to useful it found

respect, for things he himself could not not could himself he things for respect, them.) Sunandi’s suspicions in this regard regard this in suspicions Sunandi’s them.) in the least, this reader reader this least, the in

Bromarte’s soul: hunger for wealth, for for wealth, for hunger soul: Bromarte’s into the afterlife but attacks and absorbs absorbs and attacks but afterlife the into reflection on the author author the on reflection

of hunger. And hunger was what filled the the filled what was hunger And hunger. of (The Reaper does not gently guide souls souls guide gently not does Reaper (The come across. With no no With across. come

sorbed the name’s foreignness.…A name name foreignness.…A name’s the sorbed sponsible for the misguiding of these souls. souls. these of misguiding the for sponsible densest book that I have have I that book densest

name to Ehiru’s consciousness, and he ab he and consciousness, Ehiru’s to name - A Reaper, a mythical abomination, is re is abomination, mythical a Reaper, A - “[T]his has been the the been has “[T]his

self. Charleron of Wenkinsclan, came the the came Wenkinsclan, of Charleron self. collection effort is aimed at her own soul. soul. own her at aimed is effort collection

the dream of the Bromarte revealed it revealed Bromarte the of dream the - a falsely and blasphemously commissioned commissioned blasphemously and falsely a Cutting Edge Science Certain themes and concerns recur point shifts in “The Erdmann Nexus” and (cont. from p. 17) throughout Fountain of Age: aging, of “First Rites” inevitably work against fuller course, and genetic engineering, and the exploration of any individual character; near future; but also a fascination with while in the single-viewpoint stories, the what might, with equal validity, be labeled exploration simply doesn’t go far enough. “the biochemical nature of consciousness” In some cases this results in characters “Certain themes and or “the varieties of religious experience.” more off-putting than fascinating, like the concerns recur… In “By Fools Like Me,” an elderly woman ex-con in “Fountain of Age,” or the disin- what might, with equal remembers the world before catastrophic tegrating “other woman” in “The Kindness validity, be labeled ‘the environmental collapse — but remembers of Strangers,” or the obsessive photogra- biochemical nature of it all too — while the radically revised re- pher in “Images of Anna,” or the religious consciousness’ or ‘the ligion that enables survival also crushes secondary characters distinguished only varieties of religious the human spirit. In “First Rites,” rogue by their negative traits in “By Fools Like experience.’” geneticists create a possibly autistic child Me.” In other cases, the characterization who lacks our innate perception of space is affected by limited environmental de- and time — yet has the ability to manipu- tails, either because the settings are closed, late them. In “End Game,” an Asperger- reduced-stimuli environments, as in “The ish genius eliminates the weakness of Kindness of Strangers,” “Safeguard,” and human distractability, to learn that perfect “Laws of Survival,” or because the view- mental focus may not be an improvement. point characters themselves are mentally In “Images of Anna,” a professional pho- or emotionally limited. Though the open- tographer finds himself recording, not his ing story quotes John Dryden’s observa- middle-aged client, but her memories. tion that “[h]e who would reach for pearls In “Safeguard,” an aging geneticist must must dive below,” these stories ultimately recover some missing and invariably le- do not dive deeply enough. thal weapons: four genetically modified This is not to say that the collection is “The nine stories of children. In the closer, Nebula Award-­ weak, only that its contents fall short of the H Fountain of Age feature winning novella “Fountain of Age,” a piercing insight demonstrated in Kress’s Kress’s characteristic wealthy, elderly ex-convict is so obsessed best stories, like “Out of All Them Bright 18 investigation of that with his ageless former lover that he es- Stars” and “Beggars in Spain.” Fountain of oft-bloody place where capes earth itself to undergo an inevitably Age has numerous strengths, among them cutting-edge science fatal medical procedure derived from his sharp prose, an uncommon variety of non- encounters the human beloved’s mutant genes. normative characters, a quiet egalitarian- heart.” The nine stories of Fountain of Age fea- ism, and the intelligent extrapolation of ture Kress’s characteristic investigation current scientific thought without kneejerk of that oft-bloody place where cutting- admixture of libertarian polemic. These edge science encounters the human heart. strengths put Fountain of Age at refreshing However, the stories do not engage quite odds with much of modern science fiction. as fully as they might. The numerous view-

“[T]hese stories ultimately do not dive deeply enough. Cynthia Ward has published stories in Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, This is not to say that the Triangulation: Last Contact, and collection is weak, only other anthologies and magazines. that its contents fall short With Nisi Shawl, she coauthored of the piercing insight Writing the Other: A Practical demonstrated in Kress’s Approach (Aqueduct Press) based best stories” on their diversity writing workshop, “Writing the Other: Bridging Cultural Differences for Successful

Fiction.” Cynthia is completing a

novel. She lives in Los Angeles. n

n

to cast over the foul dogs of His garden His of dogs foul the over cast to

unprepared to own a single secret single a own to unprepared net a it of made and string the removed she

world a to solution the being daylight permanent shut sewn was mouth her

none had owned eyelids before eyelids owned had none —

her breasts two latchkeys hung on their clavicles their on hung latchkeys two breasts her

smeared fish scales over every exiled eye exiled every over scales fish smeared fires first the with full hair her

above from appeared finger terrifying a heavens the of skull riven the from sprang she day first her

Eden of mender the was mother first our until it was only darkness only was it until

it of ate and hands its in heart Adam’s took twenty-four flutes of Eve of flutes twenty-four

sky the from fell lightning of wad a spouts white twenty-four

and the ribs the and — the kingdom shook beneath a frenzy of disbelief of frenzy a beneath shook kingdom the

marigold of box a chest the leaving was he Father his to announced and

bindle and stick prepared Adam morning next the from the belly like a wing of foam of wing a like belly the from

rising bladder swim mussel, green-lipped that Adam was no longer a charity case charity a longer no was Adam that

barnacle scalded a scallop, white-knuckled brightly hands her clappt Eve

finger ring and finger urchin courageous and warm-blooded perfectly

parts man and parts sea of cioppino strange a

all that had been experiment was now perfectly a beefcake a perfectly now was experiment been had that all

from the neck down incomprehensible down neck the from prince a into transformed man first the

nonsense by interrupted body the of rest the happened miracle a wisdom of flesh the ate they when

delivered be to signaling though as raised arm right his

it writhed like a blood sausage blood a like writhed it

the mouth works a futile magic futile a works mouth the cast-iron as black grew wizened, which

back back, run to blood the ask and rocks hot over meat snake the roasted she night that

and the pale blossom of his ear his of blossom pale the and its final arm final its

put my lips beside his cheek his beside lips my put — breast dove that — creature the from bludgeoned and

drink to though as down lie to need I how hemlock of branch thick a took mother our

until I could return them like two metallic coins shining coins metallic two like them return could I until

like a wolf thrashing in the gears of the sea the of gears the in thrashing wolf a like 19

searching searching, indigent an like knees my on oven own her in lockt witch a like

street the in there vigorously them rub i betrayal! surprise, in out cried snake the

them recover to urge the had I tail its upon rock the hurled she approached serpent the as

dust misting their final landscape final their misting dust one of your fruit has rolled beneath this stone! this beneath rolled has fruit your of one

orbit final in hardening one! Fallen out, called she

milk sweet milk-blue, portals, glass the eyes lift could she rock enormous most the selecting

— I had never seen a face as beautiful as his as beautiful as face a seen never had I

she’d been observing the wisest creature some time some creature wisest the observing been she’d

unable to retrieve their open-mouthed babe open-mouthed their retrieve to unable apples devouring snake a upon came mother our well

faltered surely

have been torn away by fire by away torn been have

angels descending of wings the where corners the in pinned

face brother’s your half face, your of half

and passed the photograph of the dying soldier dying the of photograph the passed and why would we mourn the death of a scarecrow a of death the mourn we would why —

hemlock of eaves the underneath rain from hid I

into startling blue cornflowers blue startling into

packt in the dunnage of cud and dung and mud and dung and cud of dunnage the in packt water little a and shit and sun transformed

fiber moss fiber straw from latrine first the Adam for created and

frame invented the bound and dirt the to took clean, garden the raked Eve

chosen and chimney for flies to gag themselves behind the corridors of paradise of corridors the behind themselves gag to flies for

words the upon fragment shell like rattled fodder ashen of mounds like garden the over rose shit his since

maggots as defeated something they teeth thankfully nose a own not did man first the

for fear of losing his remaining hair remaining his losing of fear for she kept him from any rocks any from him kept she when banged when — produced light produced —

head to clamped found commonly hand one spark littlest the at disappearance to vulnerable

duff and needle pine cheeks they flaks of thorn and scarred gristle scarred and thorn of flaks they cheeks

kindling of faggot a was heart his socket in rusted they eyes

no champion to hold ourselves to ourselves hold to champion no — unfit for the crabs that fattened and moved on moved and fattened that crabs the for unfit

the first man of invention invention of man first the conch abandoned an was brain husband’s her

attempting to recuperate her lover from His design His from lover her recuperate to attempting

by Kiik A.K. Kiik by

essentials the restuffing reattaching,

adam adam husband her of scarecrow the to tended she day all y Everybody Lives: Queer Love That Doesn’t Hurt Beyond Binary: Genderqueer and Sexually Fluid Science Fiction, edited by Brit Mandelo; Lethe Presse, Inc., 2012, 267 pages, $20 Reviewed by Paige Clifton-Steele

If James Tiptree Jr. is the crown prince writerly virtuosity (and a risky second per- of speculative fiction (and if Alice Shel- son narrative viewpoint) called “Sea of don is the queen mother), then editor Brit Cortez” from Sandra McDonald. If you’re Mandelo is drawing a line that starts with more familiar with her Diana Comet sto- “[T]his latest heir out total cataclysm and ends, or at least rests, ries, this piece might come as a surprise to of Lethe Press is looking with Beyond Binary: Genderqueer and Sex- you. It’s weightier and, to my ear, cadenced to end the long romance ually Fluid Science Fiction. James Tiptree like an MFA-finished thing. Her hero is a of queerness and death. Jr was all gorgeous exogamous couplings half-literate grunt with a phantom womb Queer love that doesn’t whose price was pretty much always death and a thing for Carmen Miranda, and his hurt. It’s the wave of (personal death, if not the death of every- love life is touched by the same guardian the future.” thing). But this latest heir out of Lethe angel of queers that’s leasing space on the Press is looking to end the long romance shoulders of all of these characters. Like in of queerness and death. Queer love that Nalo Hopkinson’s “Fisherman” (another doesn’t hurt. It’s the wave of the future. nicely polished piece), where a girl’s entry And kudos to Mandelo for that. Lately, into a theater of male sexuality takes a speculative fiction as a whole seems to be happy turn. Blessed, every one of them. It’s enamored of apocalyptic narratives. But not that terrible things don’t befall them, some people have very much been there but their unsafety is temporary, survivable, “Lately, speculative fiction and done that, and for them, this is the even sexy. as a whole seems to be answer: an assortment of worlds with no I couldn’t always figure out what was H enamored of apocalyptic HIV, no hate crimes, no freaking internet supposed to be speculative about a particu- narratives.… dating. Seventeen sexy speculative scribes lar story — Hopkinson’s, for instance. That 20 Here are girls and girlymen can imagine it. was the first, though not the last, story that and et cetera who skate Not that there’s no unsafe sex here. It’s sent me back to the introduction hunt- over disaster on their way just that unsafe sex means sex with faeries ing for Mandelo’s concept of speculative to better things” or angels. Unsafe sex means fucking with fiction. “Speculative fiction is the litera- your sword on the battlefield, fucking a boy ture of questions,” says Mandelo, and yes, who could become a man who could de- that’s true, but literature is the literature of stroy you. But they don’t: you’re too lucky questions. Given the breadth of the stories to die. Here are girls and girlymen and et here, she’s clearly construing “speculative” cetera who skate over disaster on their way broadly. If it gives you room to ask a ques- to better things (oh boy, does It Get Bet- tion not presently askable, it’s speculative. ter.) And what does better look like? Many of the stories work not by science “Given the breadth of the Here’s Mandelo in the introduction: “In fictional novums or “new things,” but by stories here, she’s clearly choosing these stories, I had two major prizing out the Jenga blocks of compul- construing ‘speculative’ concerns. First, I wanted to put together sory heteronormative culture to see what’s broadly. If it gives you a tapestry of positive narratives that chal- left. Many of these stories bypass coming- room to ask a question lenged all-too-common destructive tropes out on their way to coming-of-age. In the not presently askable, it’s about queer and trans people. There are no absence of that marker, people mark their speculative.” tragic “big reveal” stories here; no one is adulthoods and awakenings in as many shocked by anyone else, and in the stories different ways as there are stories. that feature physical discoveries, the lovers There are other absences, other remov- in question are always pleased and open to als that I’m less sure how to read. There are the wholeness of their partner’s self.” also not very many protagonists as par- About a third of the stories see a rosy ents in this book. I’d guess it’s not because narrative mist closing around some combo Mandelo sees no room for parenting in of happy lovers. So many lovers! And all queer lives but because, more simply, it’s

kinds of perversion, both sweet and poly- a collection for people who haven’t gotten

morphous. The first story is a piece of sheer that far yet. Mandelo noted in an interview n

n

lection, you’ll have to be prepared to switch switch to prepared be to have you’ll lection,

screaming.

Press in 2010. in Press

- col this in story every enjoy to order In

ear your at mouth a I’m published by Papaveria Papaveria by published

up for grabs. for up

hair, your in ghost a I’m story “Two Coins” was was Coins” “Two story

complexity in worlds where “straight” is is “straight” where worlds in complexity

limited edition of her her of edition limited

from your sleep. your from

ways? The question takes on prismatic prismatic on takes question The ways?

. A handbound handbound A . Cross We

Lancelot Sir bold

- any for, queer anyone is who Oh, selves.

Here, Here, and it, Fru Goblin

you stop me let not Do

- them for not but us for queer or longer,

of Change, Stone Telling, Telling, Stone Change, of

enough. is that

Perhaps her characters are then queer no no queer then are characters her Perhaps

The Moment Moment The in poetry her

you for death; in lovely was I But

but installed in the very heart of normality. normality. of heart very the in installed but

, and and , Steampunk of Book

bones. my ’round wrapping river this than

amorous foursomes are not only normal, normal, only not are foursomes amorous The Mammoth Mammoth The and Skies

solitude my of tears the Better

- poly bisexual, which in country a Storm” Horizons, Beneath Ceaseless Ceaseless Beneath Horizons,

this. For

Kelley Eskridge has created in “Eye of the the of “Eye in created has Eskridge Kelley Magazine, Strange Strange Magazine,

outside. looked I this for

Clarkesworld Clarkesworld in appeared arrangements we might take for granted. granted. for take might we arrangements

mirror: my in burning

at night. Her fiction has has fiction Her night. at tend to pleasantly dishevel those political political those dishevel pleasantly to tend

feather helmet your

foxes cross paths with her her with paths cross foxes The stories that do deal with “politics” “politics” with deal do that stories The

saddle, thick-jewelled your

lives in London, where the the where London, in lives to ask it in the first place. first the in it ask to

face, handsome Your

(alexdallymacfarlane.com) (alexdallymacfarlane.com) seems to me to undermine the work done done work the undermine to me to seems

you. remember I But

Alex Dally MacFarlane MacFarlane Dally Alex question. She sidelines it for a climax that that climax a for it sidelines She question.

boat. this in rot I while

But Bowes doesn’t have an appetite for the the for appetite an have doesn’t Bowes But

myths finest the reaching from

to a child’s decision to revoke that choice?” choice?” that revoke to decision child’s a to

you hinder me let not Do

cost, how might that affect their reaction reaction their affect that might how cost,

death. in A woman is is woman A

ents could select their child’s sex at great great at sex child’s their select could ents beautiful most

enough. is That

- par “If question: excellent an articulates it

now. God’s is face lovely my

“Spoiling Veena,” by Keyan Bowes…well, Bowes…well, Keyan by Veena,” “Spoiling

grief: your of ease the from

“Fisherman’s” world is our world, and and world, our is world “Fisherman’s”

Lancelot Sir bold

need the future or the fantastic to work: work: to fantastic the or future the need

you stop me let not Do

21 but some of their questions don’t seem to to seem don’t questions their of some but

questions. And I feel petulant saying this, this, saying petulant feel I And questions.

by Alex Dally MacFarlane Dally Alex by i

in ways that might nourish their chosen chosen their nourish might that ways in Springs, Ohio. Springs,

sunbathe and wander and double back back double and wander and sunbathe Antioch College in Yellow Yellow in College Antioch Most Beautiful in Death in Beautiful Most

time. She is an alumna of of alumna an is She time. few of them get the chance to sprawl and and sprawl to chance the get them of few

poems from time to to time from poems stories into a page count of 267 means means 267 of count page a into stories

n

book club, and writes writes and club, book Mandelo has picked. Packing seventeen seventeen Packing picked. has Mandelo

feminist science fiction fiction science feminist may be related to the length of the stories stories the of length the to related be may

schizophrenics, runs a a runs schizophrenics, The kind of people who appear here here appear who people of kind The And Spoiler Alert: everybody lives. lives. everybody Alert: Spoiler And

at a boarding house for for house boarding a at the world, but that’s (of course) just me. just course) (of that’s but world, the one’s own image. own one’s

works graveyard shift shift graveyard works

more prophets: people with big plans for for plans big with people prophets: more across state lines with sex ’bots made in in made ’bots sex with lines state across

lives in Seattle where she she where Seattle in lives

Sometimes I wished for fewer lovers and and lovers fewer for wished I Sometimes deals with faery queens, and travelling travelling and queens, faery with deals

Paige Clifton-Steele Clifton-Steele Paige

each other. Their politics are interpersonal. interpersonal. are politics Their other. each sprouting an unexpected penis, cutting cutting penis, unexpected an sprouting

diers. Their paranormal encounters are with with are encounters paranormal Their diers. travelling back in time (to fuck oneself ), ), oneself fuck (to time in back travelling

kids and receptionists and expendable sol expendable and receptionists and kids - people from the Internet, shooting guns, guns, shooting Internet, the from people

little likely to encounter aliens: high school school high aliens: encounter to likely little elite guard, sailing, buccaneering, evicting evicting buccaneering, sailing, guard, elite

in its scope, preferring the kind of people people of kind the preferring scope, its in to-the-gills collection? Briefly: being an an being Briefly: collection? to-the-gills

being a very long in-joke.” long very a being

After all, the book is decidedly intimate intimate decidedly is book the all, After to a genderqueer body in this stuffed- this in body genderqueer a to

one story I suspected of of suspected I story one

preference for not-space-opera. for preference and falling in love, what else can happen happen can else what love, in falling and

surrealism, and at least least at and surrealism,

of the alien. Maybe it’s just an aesthetic aesthetic an just it’s Maybe alien. the of ed for the first time. And besides fucking fucking besides And time. first the for ed

extended daydreams, daydreams, extended

it’s a stance against the alienating potential potential alienating the against stance a it’s Kanning, and I’m pleased to see it collect it see to pleased I’m and Kanning, -

funky fantasy hybrids, hybrids, fantasy funky

who wants to talk about otherness. Maybe Maybe otherness. about talk to wants who promising (and funny!) debut from Sarah Sarah from debut funny!) (and promising

everything: SF-as-usual, SF-as-usual, everything:

vorite figure of the science fiction author author fiction science the of figure vorite . It marks, to me, a a me, to marks, It . Horizons Strange in ago

gathers gathers Binary Beyond

The other absence is the alien: that fa that alien: the is absence other The - which I first read with pleasure a few years years few a pleasure with read first I which

to switch gears a lot. lot. a gears switch to

not marketed as such. as marketed not was the understated “Sex with Ghosts,” Ghosts,” with “Sex understated the was

you’ll have to be prepared prepared be to have you’ll

excellent book for young people, though though people, young for book excellent long in-joke. My favorite of the collection collection the of favorite My in-joke. long

story in this collection, collection, this in story

cerns of this book and YA concerns. It’s an an It’s concerns. YA and book this of cerns least one story I suspected of being a very very a being of suspected I story one least

“In order to enjoy every every enjoy to order “In

there is a lot of overlap between the con the between overlap of lot a is there - extended daydreams, surrealism, and at at and surrealism, daydreams, extended

a younger version of herself, and indeed indeed and herself, of version younger a thing: sf-as-usual, funky fantasy hybrids, hybrids, fantasy funky sf-as-usual, thing:

that her ideal reader was was reader ideal her that Autostraddle with gears a lot. lot. a gears gathers every gathers Binary Beyond - Meredith Scheff, the Lady Cartoonist — artist, writer, mechanic, fabricator

I’ve been creating visual art since I was very small. My father, also an artist, bought me a sketchbook and gave me the direction to “draw what you see.” I’ve worked with every type of media I could since then — metal, wood, clay, textiles. Though most of my paintings are done with watercol- or, I also create autobiographical comics and some larger paintings with pen and ink. Being a cartoonist, I draw a lot of inspiration from the raw, open nar- rative that many auto-bio cartoonists express. A little motto of mine is “people only hear what you say”; meaning firstly no one else will tell my story, and secondly an inspiration to never hold anything back. A big source of artistic growth happened for me when I was diagnosed with cancer and during my subsequent treatment. It gave me not only a sense of urgency but one of perspective, one that I’m happy to have.

H 22

Eyes Everywhere Featured Artist

http://ladycartoonist.com/gallery/ n

n

Greenwashing

Charmer

Chemosavvy

23

Nightquarry Nightquarry

i Lady in the Fronds the in Lady The Cascadia Subduction Zone announces Special Issue on Joanna Russ Coming September 2012

Featuring Essays by Alexis Lothian Brit Mandelo Farah Mendlesohn

With an Introduction by L. Timmel Duchamp

Book Reviews Candra K. Gill reviews On Joanna Russ, edited by Farah Mendlesohn

Cynthia Ward reviews Heiresses of Russ 2011: The Year’s Best Lesbian Speculative Fiction, edited by JoSelle Vanderhooft and Steve Berman

$4.00 The Cascadia Subduction Zone PO Box 95787 Seattle, WA 98145-2787