Free to Play Around and Find the from Trying to “Translate” from a Singular Gender Expression That’S Right for Them

The interesting, you’re not wrong “If your takeaway…is that $5.00 and insightful criticism.”

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IN THIS ISSUE The Shadow of PeakThe the The CanonizationThe of Junipero Serra Native Tongue Láadan and y Gwynne Garfinkley Gwynne jungle red Timmely L. Duchamp Kate Wilhelm Gardner and Dozois eviewed by Arley Sorg y SuWei InvisibleThe Valley eviewed by Cynthia Ward y Claire O'Dell A Study inHonor y Emily Devenport Medusa Uploaded eviewed by Kathleen Alcalá y Maria Dahvana Headley MereThe Wife eviewed by Karen Burnham Stories in eviewed by Amy Thomson Suzette Elgin’s Haden y Nancy Moore Jane y Sara Codair Roots y Alexandra Seidel r r r r r b b b b reviewed by Phoebe Salzman-Cohen b b edited by A.C. Buchanan b b b G

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In This Issue Cover banner collagraph of theCascadia subduction zone byMarilyn Liden Bode Electronic singleissue:$3 $10 peryear Electronic Subscription(PDF format): Print singleissue:$5 Print subscription:$16/yr; www.thecsz.com Subscriptions andsingleissuesonlineat: The CanonizationThe of Junipero Serra by Nancy Moore Jane The Shadow of PeakThe the by Alexandra Seidel Stories in Suzette Elgin’s Haden reviewed by Phoebe Salzman-Cohen The MereThe Wife jungle red by Garfinkle Gwynne

Medusa Uploaded by Emily Devenport reviewed by Kathleen Alcalá reviewed reviewed by Cynthia Ward Kate Wilhelm Gardner and Dozois A Study inHonor by Claire O'Dell reviewed by Amy Thomson h reviewed by Arley Sorg by L. Timmelby L. Duchamp The InvisibleThe Valley by SuWei Roots by Sara Codair Capricious G V Jeanne GomollJeanne rand ol F by Karen Burnham B eatured F . 8N

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enough, though I was well-acquainted well-acquainted was I though enough, ing the ms to me but would like me to to me like would but me to ms the ing

Doesn’t this sound familiar? Oddly Oddly familiar? sound this Doesn’t - return wasn’t he said, he why, was which

just an additional paragraph was needed, needed, was paragraph additional an just

tales of adventure and romance. and adventure of tales

personal style. He was grumpy because because grumpy was He style. personal

of their country into outer space space outer into country their of

to address me. Actually, grumpy was his his was grumpy Actually, me. address to

disturbing street-fought conflicts conflicts street-fought disturbing

he couldn’t tell from my cover letter how how letter cover my from tell couldn’t he

was escape from the the from escape was — wanted

grumpy with me from the first because because first the from me with grumpy

and often said they they said often and — they wanted they

story interesting. He was was He interesting. story Spectrum Full

want anything to change; what what change; to anything want

missions, remarking that he’d found my my found he’d that remarking missions,

. These people didn’t didn’t people These . golden well, so,

- sub my reading started Dozois Gardner

that had made the “Golden Age” Age” “Golden the made had that

series. And then then And series. Spectrum Full premier

terstellar battles and first-contact first-contact and battles terstellar

ries was picked up by Bantam for their their for Bantam by up picked was ries

- in of tales the from far neying

- sto feminist in-your-face overtly, most

- jour and poetic literary, were that

some my work for Pulphouse. One of my my of One Pulphouse. for work my some

stories stories — their familiar old trees old familiar their

I felt I belonged? Kris Rusch bought bought Rusch Kris belonged? I felt I

fruit appearing in the branches of of branches the in appearing fruit

for a writer like me, in the field where where field the in me, like writer a for

readers didn’t like this strange new new strange this like didn’t readers

there, be a place place a be there, could there, Would over.

I realized that many writers and and writers many that realized I

reading everywhere that feminist sf was was sf feminist that everywhere reading

shock to me. For the first time, time, first the For me. to shock

avowedly feminist anthologies, I kept kept I anthologies, feminist avowedly

eral minutes, came as quite a a quite as came minutes, eral

though two of my earliest sales were to to were sales earliest my of two though

- sev for continuing applause, The

- Al out. it sending and fiction short ing

members stood and began to clap. clap. to began and stood members

- writ began I that then around was It

After a pause, several dozen SFWA SFWA dozen several pause, a After

in progress. progress. in

definitions of the field was nearly always always nearly was field the of definitions the category, Bradfield writes: Bradfield category, the

that in one form or another, a battle over over battle a another, or form one in that Award” was announced as the winner of of winner the as announced was Award”

imagine giving up either. I soon learned learned soon I either. up giving imagine influence on the stories at all.” When “No “No When all.” at stories the on influence 1

I couldn’t really fathom, since I couldn’t couldn’t I since fathom, really couldn’t I or whether genre had any any had genre whether or — other began other

“humanists” and the cyberpunks, which which cyberpunks, the and “humanists” - an and ended genre one where tell to

long after that came the war between the the between war the came that after long experiments that it was often impossible impossible often was it that experiments

having emasculated science fiction. Not Not fiction. science emasculated having fiction. In fact, they were so good at these these at good so were they fact, In fiction.

an all-out attack on women writers for for writers women on attack all-out an style and content of traditional science science traditional of content and style

SF Eye, Eye, SF in read, I when later years many happily experimenting with the form, form, the with experimenting happily

field’s history. Imagine my indignation indignation my Imagine history. field’s Wave,” which is to say, writers who “were “were who writers say, to is which Wave,”

ers out were a recurrent aspect of the the of aspect recurrent a were out ers were all writers influenced by the “New “New the by influenced writers all were

- writ of kinds certain keeping at aimed category. Bradfield suggests these three three these suggests Bradfield category.

didn’t occur to me that bitter disputes disputes bitter that me to occur didn’t among the nominees for the short story story short the for nominees the among

somewhat indiscriminately, and so it it so and indiscriminately, somewhat “Entire and Perfect Chrysolite” were were Chrysolite” Perfect and “Entire

favorites, I began by reading widely and and widely reading by began I favorites, Night with Snow,” and R.A. Lafferty’s Lafferty’s R.A. and Snow,” with Night

early teens.) Although I soon developed developed soon I Although teens.) early Death,” Kate Wilhelm’s “A Cold Dark Dark Cold “A Wilhelm’s Kate Death,”

in my my in Traveller Time The and 1984 like that Gene Wolfe’s “The Island of Doctor Doctor of Island “The Wolfe’s Gene that

notwithstanding my having read books books read having my notwithstanding ceremony, in 1970, as an usher. He notes notes He usher. an as 1970, in ceremony,

was my introduction to the field, field, the to introduction my was tion field witnessed his first Nebula Awards Awards Nebula first his witnessed field

- Intersec Einstein The ( given. a as riches full generation younger. At age 14, Brad 14, age At younger. generation full -

sf/f in the late 1970s, I took the field’s field’s the took I 1970s, late the in sf/f for situating that of Gardner Dozois, a a Dozois, Gardner of that situating for

Venn diagram.) When I began reading reading began I When diagram.) Venn career of Kate Wilhelm, but also, I think, think, I also, but Wilhelm, Kate of career

conflicts might make for an interesting interesting an for make might conflicts context for appreciating the work and and work the appreciating for context

ago. (The positions of writers in the two two the in writers of positions (The ago. anecdote serves, of course, to provide a a provide to course, of serves, anecdote

had been quite that fierce half a century century a half fierce that quite been had me with the shock of recognition. The The recognition. of shock the with me

in the field over boundaries and borders borders and boundaries over field the in 13, 2018) with an anecdote that stunned stunned that anecdote an with 2018) 13,

- with war the that realized hadn’t I nam, “Kate Wilhelm: An Appreciation” (March (March Appreciation” An Wilhelm: “Kate

Scott Bradfield begins his his begins Bradfield Scott LA Times Times LA for or opposition to the US’s war in Viet in war US’s the to opposition or for -

by L. Timmel Duchamp Timmel L. by

y (1947-2018) Dozois Gardner and (1928-2018) Wilhelm Kate Memoriam: In In Memoriam write. After he’d had to ask for just one shops, helped set the standard for prose (cont. from p. 1) more paragraph at the end — a “grace in the field, and her fiction, like that of note,” as he called it — two or three the women associated with feminist sf of more times, he got really grumpy, telling the 1970s, provided me with the mod- me that I should know by now to do it els beginning writers need to internal- without his asking me to. And once he ize in order to create intelligible stories was grumpy that I’d sent him a fantasy (as Samuel R. Delany describes it in his story (“The Apprenticeship of Isabetta magisterial About Writing). I devoured di Pietro da Cavazzi”) that he said he her enormous body of work because it had to take in spite of its being fantasy. fed my hunger for stories in which or- Over the decade I sold many stories — all dinary but intelligent, self-respecting novellas and novelettes, the real-estate women struggled not only for indepen- hogs of print magazines — to Asimov’s, dence and survival but also for what we stories that I knew lay at the margins of now call “social justice.” When, in the the field but that Gardner nevertheless last two decades of her career, she chose welcomed. to focus most of her creative work in the Traditionally, notable editors in the mystery genre, she gave us an ensemble field made their names by favoring and of characters headed by attorney Bar- promoting certain styles and types of bara Holloway of Eugene, Oregon, who narratives. Gardner was almost self- defended clients usually up against the effacing, though, in his unstated effort to agenda of highly privileged interests. represent the field as a whole. Perhaps The roles both of these writers played this began with his editing Year’s Best in the field, although as different as the anthologies and his famous annual sum- bodies of fiction they produced, never- maries of the year in sf/f. In any case, his theless contributed to the expansion of inclusiveness made an enormous differ- the field in new and sometimes surprising directions, a tendency that most writ- L. Timmel Duchamp’s ence to my own career as a writer as well ers (except for those who believe the field H latest novel, Chercher as expanded the mainstream’s sense of the field. ought to be restricted in ways it has never 2 La Femme, has just been released by Kate Wilhelm’s work affected me actually been) now take for granted, just Aqueduct Press. more indirectly, but likely as powerfully. as they do the demand for polished prose I did not attend any of the workshops in pro venues, which both of these writ- she taught, but her indefatigable work ers also insisted on. Their influence will as a teacher, particularly her decades be felt, I suspect, for longer even than of work at the Clarion Writing Work- they will be missed as the remarkable unique individuals they were.

Change the world… Read! n

Aqueduct Press. Aqueduct

online at https://saracodair.com/. at online , is forthcoming from from forthcoming is , Change

Press on Oct. 1, 2018. Find Sara Sara Find 2018. 1, Oct. on Press People People poetry, and fiction short of

, will be published by NineStar NineStar by published be will , Surge s. Her collection collection Her s. U of One Not and

ower Power novel, debut Their . II Rainbow , , Lackington’s , Apex , Horizons Strange

Once Upon a a Upon Once and Truths, Alternative , , Uncanny as publications such in

, , Magazine Unnerving like places in Angeles. Her work has appeared appeared has work Her Angeles.

Their short stories were published published were stories short Their Gwynne Garfinkle lives in Los Los in lives Garfinkle Gwynne

their work by deleting entire pages. pages. entire deleting by work their

cat named Goose who likes to “edit” “edit” to likes who Goose named cat

Community College. They live with a a with live They College. Community

tutors writing at a Northern Essex Essex Northern a at writing tutors

live without it. Sara teaches and and teaches Sara it. without live

Writing is like breathing; they can’t can’t they breathing; like is Writing

as I stride into the arms of nothingness of arms the into stride I as

Sara Codair lives in a world of words. words. of world a in lives Codair Sara

triumph of smile my see

prize invisible my reclaim I

film the of end the at

me. I lack the will to live, but Earth makes me persist. me makes Earth but live, to will the lack I me. last long at until,

to claim this land, but that doesn’t mean this land can’t claim claim can’t land this mean doesn’t that but land, this claim to lies) telling appointments, breaking

greater force is keeping me alive. I may have never been able able been never have may I alive. me keeping is force greater phone the on voice inaudible (his

Perhaps it’s not that I don’t have the courage. Maybe a a Maybe courage. the have don’t I that not it’s Perhaps blank beloved a of dibs for battle we as

to kill myself. kill to barbs witty our with

ting me become one with the land. I’ll never have the guts guts the have never I’ll land. the with one become me ting other each of out bites take we

put a bullet in my intruding head, ending my suffering, let suffering, my ending head, intruding my in bullet a put - red of slashes mouths our

in a rage, not bothering with the police. I hope they’ll just just they’ll hope I police. the with bothering not rage, a in ones magnificent the are we

The “owners” don’t return even though I wish they’d arrive arrive they’d wish I though even return don’t “owners” The phantoms with living of privilege the for

swoop down and scoop them up. them scoop and down swoop

nails lacquered our with

risk suffocation to avoid getting eaten, only for the gull to to gull the for only eaten, getting avoid to suffocation risk other each claw and scratch we

striper chasing a school of minnows to the point where they they where point the to minnows of school a chasing striper i us from them take would who

tiny plops break the surface, followed by a larger splash: a a splash: larger a by followed surface, the break plops tiny women the and

A lone gull cries out, circling moonlit water. A thousand thousand A water. moonlit circling out, cries gull lone A men nonexistent of talk to here are we

Aster, but Marsh and all the life She harbors. She life the all and Marsh but Aster, gowns glamour our in

absorbs every drop of my body and soul, and I’m no longer longer no I’m and soul, and body my of drop every absorbs blades knife like shine we

I’ll bleed out into marsh; She’ll drink me down until She She until down me drink She’ll marsh; into out bleed I’ll

Garfinkle Gwynne y b but if they do, I won’t mind. won’t I do, they if but

handcuffs. I don’t imagine they’ll shoot me for trespassing, trespassing, for me shoot they’ll imagine don’t I handcuffs. red jungle

police won’t be able to make me budge with brute force and and force brute with budge me make to able be won’t police

snobby, entitled voices, that I leave, I won’t be able to. The The to. able be won’t I leave, I that voices, entitled snobby,

sion after a night of aged wine and oysters, demanding in in demanding oysters, and wine aged of night a after sion

- McMan their to return “owners” new land’s the if Even

from the salty muck. salty the from

the earth. They suck, greedily pulling soul-feeding nutrients nutrients soul-feeding pulling greedily suck, They earth. the

Veins break through the flesh of my feet, delving deep into into deep delving feet, my of flesh the through break Veins

I am home. am I

my shoes off and let my toes sink into the mud. the into sink toes my let and off shoes my

through a small batch of scrub pine and thorn bushes. I take take I bushes. thorn and pine scrub of batch small a through

was once nothing more than a path of sandy ruts cutting cutting ruts sandy of path a than more nothing once was

Years after my family sold it, I sneak down the road that that road the down sneak I it, sold family my after Years

This place doesn’t belong to me. It never has and never will. never and has never It me. to belong doesn’t place This

by Sara Codair Sara by

Roots The Shadow of the Peak by Alexandra Seidel We were born in the shadow of the peak. The shadow is real. I was never so sure about the peak. And they said: Look, there walk the twins like lovers, hand in hand. Are they not strange, like foxes almost or half-remembered fragments of a dream? And the fox children simply walked, sharp-eared and listening but never turning their heads to glare. Our mother was young; our mother was old; our mother was a middle-aged summer wife with curlish hair of gold. She never told us tales, never sang us songs, but she fed us wine of berries, sweet as cherries on our tongues. Hush, there goes the fox-girl with her brother, the fox-boy. These two have eyes forged for darkness like the shadow of a peak, these two have ears grown for listening to every tiny squeak. But hush. They are just a boy and a girl, looking more or less like any other boy or girl, and their hearts are just the same size as any other boy-heart or girl-heart even if they each were hiding a tail in their undergarments. H Sister is more trickster than I. She has it from our mother who has it from her grandmother whose grandmother passed it on as well, and so forth. My fur is only 4 half as red, if that. But I have eyes that see well through shadows because they know shadows like a father’s all familiar jawline. Our mouths are smart, our clothes are old, our feet are bare but barely cold. We roar like lions or like bears, are dreamers really, not that anyone cares.

At least we have each other I tell Sister. Our mother can be like a mountain sometimes, jealous of the loneliness of her highest heights, and shadows are good for hiding, not so good for being found. What could we want with people, she asks, and I am not sure. Shhh, good sirs, and shhh, good ladies, and hold your tongues you young’uns! Look at those precious two, are they not rare? Shifting shape from fur to skin, Alexandra Seidel is a lover shifting skin from fox to man? What daring have the gods supplied here, of black coffee, a wearer and what charm! Oh yes, my dear, they speak, and speak with enchanting of black shirts, and a honeysuckle voice only, but better be polite; the boy roars at times, writer of black letters on the girl got teeth aplenty, and oh! a fabulous tail of red and snow white paper. Her writing beneath those petticoats of hers! For another coin, dear sir, dear madam is waiting for you to read I will make her show you, step right up! it at places like Mythic They’d keep us in cages, keep us in chains, keep us so that one greedy man gains; we Delirium, Lackington’s, are not strangers to entrapment though, no, not we of quickthought and fleetfoot, not Strange Horizons, and we who are moonwrought and can’t stay put too long in one damned place, not even others. Connect with a cage of silver made. Try to keep us little man, try to keep us if you can. Alexa on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ For Sister, it was mostly just a dare to see what would happen, to tease out all that could alexa.seidel), tweet her @ happen. Me, I just like to think that I watched the inevitable unfold, right here from Alexa_Seidel, and read that shadow of a mountain peak that I will never climb. After, I wondered: was that, her rabid blog: http:// that act of watching as the knife sank into flesh, was that not so inherently human that

tigerinthematchstickbox. it should frighten me? And whenever I contemplate the yes to that inside my mind, I

blogspot.com/ feel the peak grow, climb through reality, and rise like moonset in the woods. n

books on gender. on books

herself reading a lot of of lot a reading herself

Angel of Light to rule over Hell, has a devilish sense of humor.” of sense devilish a has Hell, over rule to Light of Angel with women, she finds finds she women, with

could be called gentle, “is that The All-Knowing One, who, after all, set the the set all, after who, One, All-Knowing The that “is gentle, called be could traditionally associated associated traditionally

“What you do not understand, Saint Junipero,” Lucifer said in a tone that that tone a in said Lucifer Junipero,” Saint understand, not do you “What fit comfortably into roles roles into comfortably fit

“Perhaps it is to increase your suffering,” the angel said, before disappearing. before said, angel the suffering,” your increase to is it “Perhaps As someone who never never who someone As

numerous short stories. stories. short numerous know my legacy on Earth belies my current state?” current my belies Earth on legacy my know

several novellas, and and novellas, several “But then why do this to me? Is it supposed to give me some satisfaction to to satisfaction some me give to supposed it Is me? to this do why then “But

, , Weave The novel fiction your so-called miracles.” so-called your

the author of the science science the of author the designation. But they issued no reprieve for you. Your massive sins outweigh outweigh sins massive Your you. for reprieve no issued they But designation.

Nancy Jane Moore is is Moore Jane Nancy “True,” the angel replied. “The One Who Cannot Be Named allowed this this allowed Named Be Cannot Who One “The replied. angel the “True,”

without the approval of the Most Omnipotent One.” One.” Omnipotent Most the of approval the without

have made such a declaration declaration a such made have — not could — “But surely the Pope would not would Pope the surely “But

is a title, nothing more.” nothing title, a is

The Angel Baltazar said, “Nothing about this changes your circumstances. It It circumstances. your changes this about “Nothing said, Baltazar Angel The

The Almighty One laughed harder. harder. laughed One Almighty The

“But the Pope has named me a saint, and the Pope is infallible.” infallible.” is Pope the and saint, a me named has Pope the “But

beginning.”

Oh no, no, absolutely not. You are mine for eternity, as was decreed from the the from decreed was as eternity, for mine are You not. absolutely no, no, Oh

The Almighty One began to laugh, and the Angel Baltazar smiled. “Leave? “Leave? smiled. Baltazar Angel the and laugh, to began One Almighty The

in this place. this in

he had been been had he — centuries? it was — first he had allowed himself in the centuries the in himself allowed had he first

“Then I will be leaving here,” Junipero said, feeling a small surge of hope, the the hope, of surge small a feeling said, Junipero here,” leaving be will I “Then

The Angel Baltazar shuddered. Baltazar Angel The

undone. You are heretofore Saint Junipero.” Saint heretofore are You undone. 5

“Indeed. You are not. We are in agreement. But holy decrees cannot be be cannot decrees holy But agreement. in are We not. are You “Indeed.

not because he doubted he deserved this honor. this deserved he doubted he because not

“I am not worthy,” he said, because that was the sort of thing one should say, say, should one thing of sort the was that because said, he worthy,” not am “I

work and his zeal. his and work

miracles, though he knew the church had always appreciated his missionary missionary his appreciated always had church the knew he though miracles,

Sainthood. He’d never been sure the odd things that had happened were were happened had that things odd the sure been never He’d Sainthood.

he might be a fellow Franciscan. Then he realized the true import of the words. words. the of import true the realized he Then Franciscan. fellow a be might he

he’d had trouble keeping up. But the name indicated indicated name the But up. keeping trouble had he’d the name of the pope the of name the

—

Junipero had never heard of the Angel Baltazar, and he did not recognize recognize not did he and Baltazar, Angel the of heard never had Junipero

seems Pope Francis has declared you a saint.” a you declared has Francis Pope seems

“Junipero,” said the One. “The Angel Baltazar has brought us a message. It It message. a us brought has Baltazar Angel “The One. the said “Junipero,”

and long straight black hair. black straight long and

That must be an angel, Junipero thought, for all that the being had dark skin skin dark had being the that all for thought, Junipero angel, an be must That

corners of the room were illuminated. illuminated. were room the of corners

table stood a being dressed all in white, glowing so brightly that the darkest darkest the that brightly so glowing white, in all dressed being a stood table

The Almighty One sat behind a table in a simple wooden chair. Next to the the to Next chair. wooden simple a in table a behind sat One Almighty The

he found himself in the audience chamber. audience the in himself found he eternity an or moments

¾ ¾

door of his cell, a bright pathway glowed before him. He stepped onto it. In In it. onto stepped He him. before glowed pathway bright a cell, his of door

he always covered his body, no matter the temperature. When he opened the the opened he When temperature. the matter no body, his covered always he

He pulled on his friar’s robes. Most here did not bother with clothes, but but clothes, with bother not did here Most robes. friar’s his on pulled He

But he got no response. no got he But

“What for?” for?” “What

“The Almighty One wants to see you,” a tinny voice said. voice tinny a you,” see to wants One Almighty “The

and patted the wall for the response button. button. response the for wall the patted and

A loud bell startled Junipero out of deep sleep. He stumbled from his pallet pallet his from stumbled He sleep. deep of out Junipero startled bell loud A

y Nancy Jane Moore Jane Nancy y b The Canonization of Junipero Serra Junipero of Canonization The y Suzette Haden Elgin’s Native Tongue and Láadan reviewed by Amy Thomson

Suzette Haden Elgin was first and foremost a linguist. She was also an art- The novel Native Tongue ist, a musician, a writer and poet, and a and its sequels…are set tireless advocate for women, especially in the 23rd century, in in terms of women and language. With- a future where the 19th in SF fandom, she founded the Science amendment was repealed Fiction Poetry Association, which has in 1991; women were named one of their awards after her. stripped of their civil rights and treated as Outside the field of SF she is known for chattel in a conservative her books on verbal self-defense. She nominally Christian published close on a dozen novels, as try to construct the language. I’m theocratic dystopia. Native well as numerous short stories. Her story Tongue predates Atwood’s “For The Sake of Grace” inspired Joanna not an engineer, and when I write The Handmaid’s Tale by Russ’s novel The Two of Them. about engines I make no attempt a year. The Native Tongue series and the cre- to pretend that I know how en- ation of Láadan are perhaps her greatest gines are put together or how they single achievement. (Critically, it is im- function. But I am a linguist, and possible to separate the series from the knowing how languages work is creation of the language, as the two are supposed to be my home territory. intimately intertwined.) I didn’t feel that I could ethically The novel Native Tongue and its se- just fake the woman-language, or quels Judas Rose and Earthsong are set just insert a handful of hypotheti- in the 23rd century, in a future where the cal words and phrases to represent H 19th amendment was repealed in 1991; it. I needed at least the basic gram- women were stripped of their civil rights mar and a modest vocabulary, and 6 and treated as chattel in a conservative I needed to experience what such a project would be like. nominally Christian theocratic dystopia. Native Tongue predates Atwood’s The Despite the language’s central impor- Handmaid’s Tale by a year. tance, there is very little Láadan in the In Native Tongue’s future, humanity’s book itself. It is talked about, women’s wealth depends on trade with numerous lives are sacrificed to protect it, but the alien species. To negotiate with these language itself is almost a negative space. aliens, Earth uses a clan of linguists as The novel is centered on the power of translators. The linguists place their in- a language that expresses women’s ex- fants in interfaces with aliens for several perience and how that language shapes hours a day to become native speakers women’s reality. For most of Native of their languages. All linguists, includ- Tongue, Láadan is a kind of linguistic ing children, work long hours translating McGuffin. But at the end of the book, alien languages for treaties and trade ne- the children are becoming native speak- gotiations. In response to their social era- ers of Láadan, and it is clear that wom- sure, female linguists have begun crafting en’s lived experience has changed. This is linguistic SF, and the what-if is this: a woman’s language, one that will express 1 women’s perceptions and experiences. “What if the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis was true?” Native Tongue tells the story of the cre- 1 ation and protection of that language The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis states that a person’s thoughts and actions are through multiple viewpoints, male and determined by the language or languages female, linguist and non-linguist. that person speaks. There is a strong Elgin created Láadan as part of writ- and a weak Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. The ing Native Tongue. As she herself said: Grandmother Magma difference between the two is the extent

In order to write the book [Native to which language is believed to shape

Tongue], I felt obligated to at least perceptions. n

cause perceived by X.” Suzette told us us told Suzette X.” by perceived cause

1994. She lives in Seattle. in lives She 1994. - be X to “known means which “-wa,”

for best new writer in in writer new best for found myself unable to comprehend comprehend to unable myself found

John W. Campbell Award Award Campbell W. John

mation in the sentence. In particular, I I particular, In sentence. the in mation

. She won the the won She . Girl Virtual

- infor the of source the clarify to tence

and and Distance, of Color

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I attended it. I remember being puzzled puzzled being remember I it. attended I

Amy Thomson is the the is Thomson Amy

on Láadan at a convention, and of course course of and convention, a at Láadan on

being female. Suzette gave a workshop workshop a gave Suzette female. being power of finding our own words. words. own our finding of power

and how it expressed the experience of of experience the expressed it how and es where language falters, showing us the the us showing falters, language where es

I made, trying to unravel the grammar grammar the unravel to trying made, I - plac dark those into light a shines Elgin

still have the stacks of Láadan flash cards cards flash Láadan of stacks the have still lacunae, places in need of illumination. illumination. of need in places lacunae,

took it home, and studied it. I I it. studied and home, it took , Láadan of traumas, but even so, there are always always are there so, even but traumas,

A First Dictionary and Grammar Grammar and Dictionary First A Elgin’s than I was, and you lack my particular particular my lack you and was, I than

nist SF works of the time. I snatched up up snatched I time. the of works SF nist way. Most of you have been better raised raised better been have you of Most way.

- femi the all did I as it devoured I lished, language and feminism in quite the same same the quite in feminism and language

- pub first was Tongue Native When ence fiction addresses the intersection of of intersection the addresses fiction ence

spite its faults. its spite - sci of work other No experience. own

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against women’s speech on the internet, internet, the on speech women’s against strove to teach women to use language to to language use to women teach to strove

Trump’s presidency, and the current war war current the and presidency, Trump’s In both her fiction and nonfiction, she she nonfiction, and fiction her both In

parallels between the Reagan era and and era Reagan the between parallels in quite the same way. way. same the quite in ly shining example of those feminists. feminists. those of example shining ly

of Christian conservatism. Given the the Given conservatism. Christian of of language and feminism feminism and language of - particular a was Elgin Haden Suzette

election of Ronald Reagan and the rise rise the and Reagan Ronald of election addresses the intersection intersection the addresses to the work of generations of feminists. feminists. of generations of work the to

work of science fiction fiction science of work was written in reaction to the the to reaction in written was Tale maid’s even a newly minted adult. This is due due is This adult. minted newly a even

experience. No other other No experience. - Hand The Atwood’s like , Tongue tive

tions than I did when I was a child or or child a was I when did I than tions

to validate their own own their validate to - Na that believe I said, That feminism.

- op more many so experience, our scribe

defend themselves, and and themselves, defend

in a way that reflects a pre-intersectional pre-intersectional a reflects that way a in - de to ways more many have now We

to use language to to language use to

30s, Elgin writes writes Elgin 30s, the in born worldview;

offer younger generations of feminists? feminists? of generations younger offer

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strove to teach women women teach to strove

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and nonfiction, she she nonfiction, and

al suspenders of disbelief a bit too far. far. too bit a disbelief of suspenders al

were the moment the sky opened to new new to opened sky the moment the were

In both her fiction fiction her both In

- person my stretches this find I Right, and Láadan Láadan and Tongue Native me, For

exhausting fight against the Christian Christian the against fight exhausting belief in myself. in belief

the #MeToo movement, and the long, long, the and movement, #MeToo the strengthening my voice by bolstering my my bolstering by voice my strengthening

rent reaction to Trump’s presidency, presidency, Trump’s to reaction rent It made me a better critic and writer, writer, and critic better a me made It

- cur the Given women. the from fight years of searching for a place to stand. stand. to place a for searching of years

en’s civil rights are taken away with no no with away taken are rights civil en’s me solid earth beneath my feet after after feet my beneath earth solid me

- wom which in future a posits book the explain women’s language. It also gave gave also It language. women’s explain

What bothers me most of all is that that is all of most me bothers What for more and better tools to define and and define to tools better and more for

at all. child. This epiphany underlined the need need the underlined epiphany This child.

sexual relationships between women women between relationships sexual express what had happened to me as a a as me to happened had what express

sisters, or maternally, but there are no no are there but maternally, or sisters, usage, and I quite simply had no way to to way no had simply quite I and usage,

normative. Women love each other as as other each love Women normative. the term gaslighting came into common common into came gaslighting term the

hetero- extremely also is It mentioned. universe. It was a decade or more before before more or decade a was It universe.

linguists from Africa and Asia are are Asia and Africa from linguists the sky crack open, revealing a far wider wider far a revealing open, crack sky the

relevance….. viewpoint characters are white, though though white, are characters viewpoint ally denied. Hearing this was like having having like was this Hearing denied. ally

gains new new gains Tongue diversity and intersectionality. All of the the of All intersectionality. and diversity subjective experience had been continu been had experience subjective -

Native Native internet, the on of the men. Also, the book lacks racial racial lacks book the Also, men. the of During most of my childhood, my my childhood, my of most During

against women’s speech speech women’s against

kind man ultimately sides with the rest rest the with sides ultimately man kind “No, Amy, they can’t.” they Amy, “No,

and the current war war current the and

male characters. Even the one seemingly seemingly one the Even characters. male “They can’t?” “They

and Trump’s presidency, presidency, Trump’s and

self-centered. There are no sympathetic sympathetic no are There self-centered. I sat up straight, blinking in surprise. surprise. in blinking straight, up sat I

between the Reagan era era Reagan the between

men are of a type: horrid, spoiled, and and spoiled, horrid, type: a of are men no you’re not,” she explained. she not,” you’re no

Given the parallels parallels the Given

little hard on the male gender. All of the the of All gender. male the on hard little “If you say, ‘I’m cold,’ no one can say say can one no cold,’ ‘I’m say, you “If

some flaws. First, I find find I First, flaws. some a a Tongue Native to contradict subjective experience. subjective contradict to

While the book is fascinating, it has has it fascinating, is book the While that this construction made it impossible impossible it made construction this that y Stories in Capricious #9, edited by A.C. Buchanan by Karen Burnham

Capricious is a magazine new to me, but based on this special crowdfunded issue on gender diverse pronouns, I’ll definitely be returning to it. These sto- These stories allow their ries allow their characters and narrators characters and narrators to be comfortable in their own skins — to to be comfortable in be themselves without having to shoe- their own skins — to horn into a language that doesn’t fit. I be themselves without also appreciate one aspect editor of A.C. having to shoehorn into a Buchanan’s reasoning for why such an language that doesn’t fit. issue is worth doing right now: just the right amount of snark and in- A complaint that often occurs trospection to make it a great introduc- is that people aren’t used to pro- tion to how gender is going to be treated noun sets other than he/him/his here. At the end of the issue, “Glitter and she/her and it’s hard to learn and Leaf Litter” by Rae White features them...the answer is to normalize a pair of teenagers exploring an aban- them. To use them in conversa- doned mansion and talking with various tion, yes, but also in our stories, ghosts who once lived there. One is the in fiction, in all media. In stories ghost of a teen who was never allowed to about spaceships and about mag- break out of the strict gender role their ic, heroism and exploration, fami- parents had in mind for them, haunting lies and home. a portrait they were forced to sit for. Em (they/their) and Kai (still thinking about H I’m one of those readers. I have a pronouns) start bringing things for the number of friends for whom “he” and ghost to use to change their look in the 8 “she” pronouns aren’t correct, and I sup- portrait — “We walk into the bedroom port all of them. But when I’m reading, armed with a variety of potentially help- it’s an extra effort to remind myself that ful items: a butch muscle vest, a pair of a construction that reads oddly is in fact frayed shorts and some scissors.” — to let grammatically correct and to stop myself them be free to play around and find the from trying to “translate” from a singular gender expression that’s right for them. “they” (for example) to a more familiar It’s a small thing, but a story about gen- gendered construction in my mind. An derqueer teens helping each other is just issue such as this, 243 pages including the right grace note for the issue. ten fun and moving stories, author inter- Another fun problem-solving duo views, and editorial comments, helps us features in “Volatile Patterns” by Bogi move through the new (and some quite Takács. In a universe where magic is real old) constructions with more fluency (or is at least a form of highly developed and comfort. technology), a foreign political leader The table of contents starts and ends wears an outfit that was gifted to her by with humor, often a great way to ease an offworlder. Fashion being what it is, people into possibly uncomfortable ter- knockoffs begin appearing on her planet, ritory. Lead story “Ad Astra per Aspera” but the magic woven into the patterns by Nino Cipri has a great opening line: is uncontrolled when made by people “I’m pretty sure I lost my gender in Kan- who don’t understand what they’re do- sas.” It continues completely tongue in ing. Renai, the narrator, travels with life- cheek, imagining the “Lost” signs that partner Mirun (who uses e/eir pronouns) could be posted in truck stops, mention- to investigate reports of strange things. I ing how easy it is to lose things, and won- appreciated the fact that they are parents Dust Lanes dering who might be picking it up and and explicitly have arrangements for the

trying it on. The story could have wound care of their daughter while they go out

up feeling overly defensive, but there’s on assignment. As the chaos escalates, n

alizes that Sev might be the best chance chance best the be might Sev that alizes different times in their life. life. their in times different

Cont. on p. 10 p. on Cont.

- re and life, his of end the towards kind, or for your lover, or for one individual at at individual one for or lover, your for or

dragon as tribute. Vartak is the last of his his of last the is Vartak tribute. as dragon others they are right for me, or for you, you, for or me, for right are they others

lage offered up zir lover (she/her) to the the to (she/her) lover zir up offered lage right for merfolk, or aliens, or the fae. In In fae. the or aliens, or merfolk, for right

- vil zir after Vartak dragon the confront In some cases non-binary pronouns are are pronouns non-binary cases some In

ers” by SL Byrne, Sev (ze/zir) travels to to travels (ze/zir) Sev Byrne, SL by ers” being forced to be “all this” or “all that.” that.” “all or this” “all be to forced being

- Feath with Thing “The In being. tient you never feel like a particular trope is is trope particular a like feel never you

- sen any for assignment an than choice a many perspectives in one place is that that is place one in perspectives many

cally repugnant, identity should be more more be should identity repugnant, cally having a collection of stories with so so with stories of collection a having

- practi is wombs biological in children gender binary, but the great thing about about thing great the but binary, gender

so divorced that the thought of bearing bearing of thought the that divorced so people who also don’t identify with the the with identify don’t also who people

for any sentient being. being. sentient any for world where biology and identity are are identity and biology where world might be a risk of Othering real-world real-world Othering of risk a be might

choice than an assignment assignment an than choice

that AIs are people too. Especially in a a in Especially too. people are AIs that of these stories were standalones, there there standalones, were stories these of

identity should be more a a more be should identity

ics or pyrotechnics here, just a statement statement a just here, pyrotechnics or ics

(preer/prin) in a hidden garden. If some some If garden. hidden a in (preer/prin)

practically repugnant, repugnant, practically

- dramat No fit. right the isn’t “she” that

Jeb (ey/eir) is befriended by a faery faery a by befriended is (ey/eir) Jeb

biological wombs is is wombs biological sociated with one of those ships decides decides ships those of one with sociated

“Grow Green” by Rem Wigmore, where where Wigmore, Rem by Green” “Grow

of bearing children in in children bearing of

- as AI the when happens what and “she”

nary sexual biology. The same is true in in true is same The biology. sexual nary

divorced that the thought thought the that divorced

asks about all those ships referred to as as to referred ships those all about asks

- bi assumed our to relationship no has

biology and identity are so so are identity and biology

explicitly science fiction story, one that that one story, fiction science explicitly

our gendered words onto a being who who being a onto words gendered our

Especially in a world where where world a in Especially

“Incubus” by Hazel Gold is another another is Gold Hazel by “Incubus”

to emphasize how wrong it is to map map to is it wrong how emphasize to

charm to keep it moving well. well. moving it keep to charm

used to describe a nonhuman character, character, nonhuman a describe to used

few pages, but there’s enough humor and and humor enough there’s but pages, few

time that nonstandard pronouns are are pronouns nonstandard that time

It packs a lot of gender fluidity into very very into fluidity gender of lot a packs It

their). This is the first, but not the last, last, the not but first, the is This their).

will say he transitioned “for no reason.” reason.” no “for transitioned he say will

who falls in love with a merfolk (they/ merfolk a with love in falls who

he isn’t seen to be perfectly happy people people happy perfectly be to seen isn’t he

tells of a lighthouse keeper (she/her) (she/her) keeper lighthouse a of tells

pun of the title), Dennis worries that if if that worries Dennis title), the of pun

“Island, Ocean” by Lauren E. Mitchell, Mitchell, E. Lauren by Ocean” “Island,

just going through a “phase” (hence the the (hence “phase” a through going just

Another story involving romance, romance, involving story Another

substantiate her mom’s claim that she’s she’s that claim mom’s her substantiate

it feels completely true and real and lived. lived. and real and true completely feels it

beth doesn’t want anything that will will that anything want doesn’t beth

self-doubt and anger and passion, all of of all passion, and anger and self-doubt

- Eliza life: LGBTQ of themes common

all the the all — How could it ever not work? not ever it could How

be permanent. They work through some some through work They permanent. be

How can this work? work? this can How — about each other each about

idence that the choices they make won’t won’t make they choices the that idence

their relationship. All of their emotions emotions their of All relationship. their

- ev obvious the seeing also but moments,

ways they have both made and unmade unmade and made both have they ways

mitted to their own choices at their their at choices own their to mitted

quest we learn their backstory and all the the all and backstory their learn we quest

- com all are They room. one in gether

Throughout Florence’s and then Hilary’s Hilary’s then and Florence’s Throughout

- to all are Zabeth agender 65-year-old

of such animals, how can you find yours? yours? find you can how animals, such of

queer Z, 32-year-old male Dennis, and and Dennis, male 32-year-old Z, queer

“all this” or “all that.” that.” “all or this” “all

imal. But in a wall covered with millions millions with covered wall a in But imal.

- gender 21-year-old Elizabeth, lesbian

trope is being forced to be be to forced being is trope

- an origami paper a in up wrapped peace

anyone, but more so when 16-year-old 16-year-old when so more but anyone,

never feel like a particular particular a like feel never

where individuals can find their heart’s heart’s their find can individuals where

self. That would be true of just about about just of true be would That self.

in one place is that you you that is place one in

left Hilary behind to journey to the wall wall the to journey to behind Hilary left

wrap her head around her middle-aged middle-aged her around head her wrap

with so many perspectives perspectives many so with

active. Although betrothed, Florence has has Florence betrothed, Although active.

it’s no surprise that Elizabeth can barely barely can Elizabeth that surprise no it’s a collection of stories stories of collection a

asexual; Hilary (ze/hir) is quite sexually sexually quite is (ze/hir) Hilary asexual;

their own perspectives on their life, and and life, their on perspectives own their great thing about having having about thing great

are deeply in love. Florence (she/her) is is (she/her) Florence love. in deeply are they each have have each they — tween them is great is them tween the gender binary, but the the but binary, gender the

ing so are as deeply different as they they as different deeply as are so ing also don’t identify with with identify don’t also in the spaceship before. The banter be banter The before. spaceship the in -

ing a family when the individuals do individuals the when family a ing - real-world people who who people real-world in her future, the rest of whom have been been have whom of rest the future, her in

by Penny Stirling is a story about form about story a is Stirling Penny by - might be a risk of Othering Othering of risk a be might versions of herself from different points points different from herself of versions

“Walking the Wall of Papered Peaces” Peaces” Papered of Wall the “Walking were standalones, there there standalones, were time as well as space. Elizabeth meets meets Elizabeth space. as well as time

If some of these stories stories these of some If quite busy. busy. quite whom we learn little) can travel through through travel can little) learn we whom

beginning of the story that they’ve been been they’ve that story the of beginning ducted by aliens. But these aliens (about (about aliens these But aliens. by ducted

it’s implied at the the at implied it’s — this pair’s adventures pair’s this - ab gets life, for grounded been promptly

story, and I would happily read more of of more read happily would I and story, come out as lesbian to her mother and and mother her to lesbian as out come

literally run amok. Another satisfying satisfying Another amok. run literally beth is a teenage girl who, having just just having who, girl teenage a is beth

from ignorant cultural appropriation appropriation cultural ignorant from “Phaser,” by Cameron Van Sant. Eliza Sant. Van Cameron by “Phaser,” -

being superheroes and saving the day day the saving and superheroes being comes at the midpoint of the issue in in issue the of midpoint the at comes

Renai and Mirun have their hands full full hands their have Mirun and Renai Perhaps the best example of that that of example best the Perhaps Dust Lanes able gender and tries to shoehorn them (cont. from p. 9) into a structure that doesn’t fit. It’s a classic immigrant story and very moving in the way that the family members native One thing I love about to renew his species. He shows Sev to to the city’s society and language try to the interviews is that the heart of the mountain where Vartak help, but sometimes accidentally hurt, each author is asked to laid her eggs in a different (and differ- the person trying to fit in without los- recommend a short story ently gendered) phase of her life. They’ve ing themselves. One thing I found fas- and a novel to the readers, been incubating many long years in a cinating in the author interview is that a great way to spread the deep down hot spring, and Vartak draws Prevost is a linguist. In choosing the pro- word about other works Sev there to take them back to the out- nouns to go along with the culture in the out there on the same side world to hatch, to fly. Sev has many story, they “went back to Old English themes. conflicting thoughts, but what hatches and got some inspiration there. Anglo- out in the end is surprising. Saxon had three genders and multiple “The Thing with Feathers” is followed, grammatical cases, so there was a lot of as are many of the stories here, by a brief material to work with!” author interview. These are uniformly il- Looking backward and looking for- luminating; in this case Byrne is a sci- ward gives the readers, the writers, and ence writer and editor who explains the characters space to explore ways of some of the biological inspiration from being that may currently feel constrained our own world that informs Vartak and or alienating. Things have been very dif- its lifecycle. Gender is nowhere near as ferent before and will be again, and as biologically immutable as many of us SL Byrne reminds us, not even nature is are taught. One thing I love about the immutable. For anyone looking for the interviews is that each author is asked classic speculative fictional thrill wherein to recommend a short story and a novel reading a story can change the way we to the readers, a great way to spread the think about our world, there is plenty For anyone looking for the classic speculative word about other works out there on the of intellectual delight to be found here. H fictional thrill wherein same themes. A short “Further Reading” Those working through their own sense reading a story can change 10 list at the end of the issue does the same, and senses of identities may find some although it’s focused on works from the the way we think about comfort here, some suggestions, some our world, there is plenty last few years. hope. All that together with adventure, of intellectual delight to My favorite story of the issue has to be romance, and humor — this is a strong be found here. “Sandals Full of Rainwater” by A.E. Pre- magazine issue that I hope will get plen- vost. Piscrandiol is a traveler from a very ty of attention. dry land where gender is not marked and everyone uses “they.” They are following in the footsteps of a cousin to a very wet city, but connections are missed and they wind up offering to share space with a large-ish family that we would identify as polyamorous. Piscrandiol suffers terribly with the language, which has Karen Burnham is vocationally something like 45 different pronouns an electromagnetics engineer depending on the perceptions of the and avocationally a book speaker about themselves and the person reviewer and critic. She writes they’re speaking to/about. Prevost mer- for Locus Magazine online and cifully doesn’t lay out the entire system; other venues. Her single author it would overwhelm the story. Instead study Greg Egan is available we’re left to sympathize with Piscrandi- from University of Illinois Press. ol’s continuing confusion. They join the She works in the automotive family, first out of convenience and then industry in Michigan, where she out of love, but are constantly frustrated lives with her family. by attempts to find work and also by be-

ing constantly Othered in a culture that

doesn’t understand their lack of identifi- n

Change the world with science and facts and science with world the Change

i Change the world with friendship with world the Change y All that Glitters: Beowulf Revisited The Mere Wife, by Maria Dahvana Headley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, July 2018, 320 pp., $27.00. reviewed by Kathleen Alcalá

First of all, it’s no secret that this is a retelling of Beowulf, a long poem in This is a story about Old English, essentially the beginning monsters, and mirrors, and of English literature. This is not a story revenge. It is about our expectations, and what we in my cultural tradition, although I rec- will do if we do not get ognize it, so I had to look it up to learn them. It is about seeing the specifics. Oh my. the enemy all around sufficient from living off the land, he has This is a story about monsters, and you, sometimes being already ventured out and, in one of the mirrors, and revenge. It is about our ex- right about that, and glass houses, encountered his twin, his pectations, and what we will do if we sometimes not. soul-mate, Dylan. do not get them. It is about seeing the Willa Herot is raising Dylan in the enemy all around you, sometimes being deadly white community of Herot Hall. right about that, and sometimes not. It is Dylan is named, without consulting his about the suffering of the innocent and the aftermath of war. mother, after the patriarch of Herot Hall. Maria Dahvana Headley is the New A tall, heavily medicated blonde, Willa York Times Best-selling author of the is the blank sheet upon which men and young adult fantasy novels Magonia and her mother imprint their wills. Her last Aerie, the dark fantasy/alt-history novel names change for each chapter of her life. Queen of Kings, and is probably best- Her mother and the chorus of women- H known for her memoir The Year of Yes. of-a-certain-age in Herot Hall form an With Neil Gaiman, she edited the an- especially nasty group of self-described 12 thology Unnatural Creatures, benefitting “soldiers” determined to guard their 826DC. With Kat Howard, she authored world from the sort of change that would the novella “The End of the Sentence,” admit people like Dana and her son. one of NPR’s Best Books of 2014. She is Meanwhile, Willa knows there is a also an essayist and screenwriter. monster on the mountain — she has seen The book is told primarily from the the claw marks in her own house. So the POV of Grendel’s (or Gren’s) mother. riddles are where is it, what is it, and why Oh yeah. Dana Mills, the mother in this does Dylan have an imaginary friend version, is a veteran of an unnamed war named Gren? in the Middle East, taken captive, given When Ben Woolf (Beowulf ) came on up as dead, and treated as a war criminal the scene as the police chief, I was ini- when she returns. She’s also six months tially a bit disappointed with him — too pregnant. unintelligent to be a worthy foe for Dana Desperate to give birth in a safe place, Mills, and as seemingly pliable as Willa. she goes AWOL and returns to the He beds Willa almost immediately after mountain where she grew up. There, she the death of her husband, and together finds the town displaced by a gated glass they rise to dominate the cultural and suburb, Herot Hall, so she goes into a business interests of Herot Hall. Only secret place she remembers nearby, an Headley had me fooled. She under- opening in the mountain, to give birth stands how repetitive killing can dull and recover. and obscure any sense of morality and Only, she doesn’t quite recover. Suf- how that, combined with the quest for fering from PTSD and convinced that honor and a series of lies, could make her child will be harmed if she ventures Ben Woolf into a deadly, if not worthy,

Reviews out, Dana Mills raises her son inside the foe. Part of his danger is his lack of at-

mountain until that inevitable moment tachment to the land, any land: he’s an

when he asks, why? Hardened and self- orphan. The military made him what he n

way, but Headley zeroes in on a mother’s mother’s a on in zeroes Headley but way,

what ho! Meanings get lost along the the along lost get Meanings ho! what

it might also mean pay attention, attend, attend, attention, pay mean also might it

half a dozen ways. Usually as Listen! But But Listen! as Usually ways. dozen a half

Beowulf, “Whaet,” has been interpreted interpreted been has “Whaet,” Beowulf,

him alive. The first word of the original original the of word first The alive. him

And she will do what it takes to keep keep to takes it what do will she And

her son as a monster, just as her child. child. her as just monster, a as son her

as a monster. She has never thought of of thought never has She monster. a as

Mills. She has never thought of herself herself of thought never has She Mills.

prayer for survival. for prayer

neath their skin, me included,” says Dana Dana says included,” me skin, their neath

own verses to form a a form to verses own

- be monster a be might “Everyone

Mother and son add their their add son and Mother

balance of strong minds and hearts. hearts. and minds strong of balance

to collapse.… to

who depend on strong arms without the the without arms strong on depend who

their life together begins begins together life their

gladly turn our well-being over to those those to over well-being our turn gladly

well,” she tells Gren as as Gren tells she well,”

not for the 1100s but for now, when we we when now, for but 1100s the for not manner of things shall be be shall things of manner

out. Pay attention! Because this is a story story a is this Because attention! Pay out. all shall be well and all all and well be shall all

poses of the teller. Listen! the text cries cries text the Listen! teller. the of poses “All shall be well and and well be shall “All

- pur the serve lings retel that me remind

to call them out. Count them. But they they But them. Count out. them call to

ous myths and legends that I hesitate hesitate I that legends and myths ous kathleenalcala.com

- vari to references many so are There www. at More Northwest.

writing, and lives in the the in lives and writing, each other. each

writes, teaches creative creative teaches writes, women are mere wives, reflections of of reflections wives, mere are women

author if six books. She She books. six if author supposedly central male figure. Both Both figure. male central supposedly

Kathleen Alcalá is the the is Alcalá Kathleen derestimate because she’s married to a a to married she’s because derestimate

- un might one who woman a or mere,

a woman who is wed to the the to wed is who woman a — entendre

i , Headley introduces a double double a introduces Headley , Wife Mere

The The book this calling By history. scape’s among us. among

- land the of suffering and violence the of roic deeds and shudder at the monsters monsters the at shudder and deeds roic

ing a picturesque lake that hides much much hides that lake picturesque a ing - he of hear to fire the round gathered

- form mountain, the outside and inside keep us as entranced as those who once once who those as entranced as us keep

a body of water that flows both both flows that water of body a — mere of glittering scenery and bloody battles, battles, bloody and scenery glittering of

At the heart of this book is the the is book this of heart the At divergences and additions, descriptions descriptions additions, and divergences

juxtaposition. a while to settle accounts. But Headley’s Headley’s But accounts. settle to while a

strong minds and hearts. hearts. and minds strong

deadly, but also funny, in an interesting interesting an in funny, also but deadly,

ers), Beowulf and Grendel’s mother take take mother Grendel’s and Beowulf ers), without the balance of of balance the without

set out upon the mountain. The dogs are are dogs The mountain. the upon out set

- oth many probably (and Tolkien J.R.R. depend on strong arms arms strong on depend

told from the POV of the search dogs dogs search the of POV the from told translated by both Seamus Heaney and and Heaney Seamus both by translated being over to those who who those to over being

bit of levity is introduced in a chapter chapter a in introduced is levity of bit er. As in the original, which has been been has which original, the in As er. we gladly turn our well- our turn gladly we

cluding Willa (now) Woolf. A welcome welcome A Woolf. (now) Willa cluding long for a book that reads like a thrill a like reads that book a for long - 1100s but for now, when when now, for but 1100s

covered from the site by developers, in developers, by site the from covered - arc of time is unusually unusually is time of arc Wife’s Mere The this is a story not for the the for not story a is this

- re “artifacts” of collection a to reduced prayer for survival. survival. for prayer Pay attention! Because Because attention! Pay

cestors, their cemetery bull-dozed and and bull-dozed cemetery their cestors, Listen! the text cries out. out. cries text the Listen! and son add their own verses to form a a form to verses own their add son and

blended with those of Dana Mills’ an Mills’ Dana of those with blended - book in English, around 1395. Mother Mother 1395. around English, in book

their own secrets. These secrets have have secrets These secrets. own their mystic and the first woman to write a a write to woman first the and mystic

of the mountain, there to guard guard to there mountain, the of animas words of Julian of Norwich, a Christian Christian a Norwich, of Julian of words

mountain: the deadly women and the the and women deadly the mountain: gins to collapse. Turns out these are the the are these out Turns collapse. to gins

range and meaning to the events on the the on events the to meaning and range she tells Gren as their life together be together life their as Gren tells she -

not one, but two Greek choruses to add add to choruses Greek two but one, not and all manner of things shall be well,” well,” be shall things of manner all and

to hear what’s in their heads. There are are There heads. their in what’s hear to “All shall be well and all shall be well well be shall all and well be shall “All

enough to each of the characters for us us for characters the of each to enough leave us to love others. love to us leave

POVs to tell this story, creeping close close creeping story, this tell to POVs do a good job raising our sons, they will will they sons, our raising job good a do

Daringly, Headley uses numerous numerous uses Headley Daringly, that if we we if that — out the inevitable betrayal inevitable the out

his existence. No monsters, no heroes. no monsters, No existence. his language cannot alter. She also points points also She alter. cannot language

is, a man who needs monsters to justify justify to monsters needs who man a is, love for her son, something time and and time something son, her for love y Ungraspable Worm Medusa Uploaded, by Emily Devenport, Tor, May 2018, 320 pp., $16.99. reviewed by Phoebe Salzman-Cohen

This novel stars, and is narrated by, Oichi Angelis, who is a member of the underclass (a “worm”) on the generation ship Olympia. Oichi is shot out of an airlock as punishment for her insurgent activities, which means that, as far as the ship’s record is concerned, Oichi is dead. However, Oichi is saved by a sentient AI, known as a Medusa unit, which is only the workings of the generation ship hidden outside the ship. The two create I found Medusa Uploaded itself, but the anguish, ingenuity, and to be a frustrating read, a bond when the Medusa gives Oichi particular mental idiosyncrasies of each and a slippery one; I access to her (the AI’s) network of in- character. Medusa Uploaded has interest- never discovered a way formation — this is the “upload” of the ing characters and a promising setting, to grab onto the story title — and when Oichi names the unit, but the details don’t develop enough and stay with it, and simply calling her “Medusa.” Their con- to influence each other, to create depth once I finished reading nection allows Oichi to continue her ac- through context. it, it didn’t stay with me. tivities: trying to make her late father’s It seems to me that Medusa Upload- Its goals, I think, are music database accessible to everyone ed tries to produce a sense of history admirable. (including fellow “worms”), infiltrating through implication and atmosphere, the upper class, assassinating those who but the different pieces we see don’t co- deserve it and impersonating others, and, here enough to hint at what that history H eventually, uncovering deep-seated mys- means. The novel contains a wide mix of teries about the nature of the ship and different given names and surnames, but 14 its AI units. The book also details Oichi’s certain ethnic backgrounds hold greater own relationships with the people she is prominence than others (particularly trying to help and the people who are Anglo-American and Japanese). This trying to thwart her. would be fine if there was a reason for I found Medusa Uploaded to be a frus- it that became clear somewhere in the trating read, and a slippery one; I never novel — or even if there was a subtle hint It seems to me that discovered a way to grab onto the story that there might be a reason, even one Medusa Uploaded tries and stay with it, and once I finished read- that the characters wouldn’t understand. to produce a sense ing it, it didn’t stay with me. Its goals, I If there is a hint like that, though, I didn’t of history through think, are admirable. Oichi is a person in spot it, and this particular issue extends implication and a horrific situation who uses ingenuity atmosphere, but the to more than just names. Why are some and perseverance in an effort to achieve different pieces we see ethnic backgrounds also represented in don’t cohere enough what she considers to be justice. But the music, movies, and aesthetics more than to hint at what that idea of an oppressive overclass, a subju- others, and is that supposed to suggest history means. gated underclass, and a generation ship something about who made the genera- doesn’t automatically provide enough tion ships and what Earth might have material to make an engaging story, or a been like before they launched? Why are story with complicated ideas in it. While certain movies and pieces of music high- I was reading I found myself constantly lighted above others, and is there a logic thinking about Rivers Solomon’s An Un- behind their choice aside from what they kindness of Ghosts, another relatively re- might mean to us, as readers, in this par- cent novel about a generation ship that is ticular moment? Not only does the book founded upon systematically oppressing not bring these questions together in a many of its passengers. In An Unkindness compelling direction, but it also does not of Ghosts, the characters’ difficulties, both seem to care one way or another if read-

internal and external, are explored and ers ask them. Some characters do ask

contextualized in ways that develop not questions about “The Homeworld,” the n

She is competent at almost everything everything almost at competent is She

personality without any clear way out. out. way clear any without personality roleplaying campaigns. roleplaying

scure the world and obscure her own own her obscure and world the scure them or putting them into into them putting or them

- ob both have does she impressions the up and either writing about about writing either and up

impression of herself or her world, but but world, her or herself of impression time making strange things things strange making time

may not always have the most accurate accurate most the have always not may She spends much of her spare spare her of much spends She

not close enough. It’s clear that Oichi Oichi that clear It’s enough. close not particular focus on Homer). Homer). on focus particular

and ancient Greek (with a a (with Greek ancient and she comes close, but but close, comes she — believable to me to believable

studies fantasy, science fiction, fiction, science fantasy, studies AI friend. Yet Oichi never quite feels feels quite never Oichi Yet friend. AI

Phoebe Salzman-Cohen Salzman-Cohen Phoebe others are privy to, and a really strange strange really a and to, privy are others

a vantage point on her home that few few that home her on point vantage a

code (and not the other way around), around), way other the not (and code

particular mission that shapes her moral moral her shapes that mission particular

tastes and expectations. expectations. and tastes

Oichi should be compelling. She has a a has She compelling. be should Oichi isn’t always well-expressed. always isn’t

readers with different different with readers

and with people on it. it. on people with and Olympia with ing is in the right place, even if that heart heart that if even place, right the in is

significantly between between significantly

- interact of way particular her by also

find a lot to enjoy here. The story’s heart heart story’s The here. enjoy to lot a find

where mileage may vary vary may mileage where

by a great deal of personal trauma, but but trauma, personal of deal great a by

doled out by unreliable narrators might might narrators unreliable by out doled

This seems like a novel novel a like seems This

story, one which is not only defined defined only not is which one story, ing together truths from information information from truths together ing

come back to Oichi herself. This is her her is This herself. Oichi to back come - piec like who and revenge, righteous of

Many of my issues with the book book the with issues my of Many who are particularly interested in stories stories in interested particularly are who

I couldn’t tell. couldn’t I are attracted to generation ship stories, stories, ship generation to attracted are

actively grappling with these questions, questions, these with grappling actively readers who who readers Zone Subduction Cascadia

slang points to. But, again, if the novel is is novel the if again, But, to. points slang with different tastes and expectations. expectations. and tastes different with

which the the which Titania, the ship, companion may vary significantly between readers readers between significantly vary may

and its its and Olympia the of nature the about This seems like a novel where mileage mileage where novel a like seems This

a logic behind this combination, a truth truth a combination, this behind logic a . . Uploaded Medusa of out

also have the other. I want there to be be to there want I other. the have also

able to, I would have gotten much more more much gotten have would I to, able 15

with either phrase in their idiolect would would idiolect their in phrase either with

couldn’t find it, and I think if I had been been had I if think I and it, find couldn’t

juxtaposition; I’m not sure that anyone anyone that sure not I’m juxtaposition; . If it is there, I I there, is it If . there be to has it readers,

the blazes!?”, which feels like a strange strange a like feels which blazes!?”, the make that internality accessible to the the to accessible internality that make

in the butt,” but also things like What What like things also but butt,” the in with little internality. Even if she cannot cannot she if Even internality. little with

Oichi says things like “What a pain pain a “What like things says Oichi one who feels like an idolized vigilante vigilante idolized an like feels who one

at other times it feels painfully dated. dated. painfully feels it times other at - some her, of representation this having

close to our particular moment, and and moment, particular our to close having Oichi be artificially open and and open artificially be Oichi having

not to display emotion. emotion. display to not

used? Sometimes the slang feels too too feels slang the Sometimes used? some way, some middle ground, between between ground, middle some way, some

a worm, has been trained trained been has worm, a

where does it come from? How is it it is How from? come it does where

know how they feel. Still, there must be be must there Still, feel. they how know certainly because Oichi, as as Oichi, because certainly

— The slang itself is another problem another is itself slang The

is to let the members of the upper class class upper the of members the let to is emotion. Part of this is is this of Part emotion.

into context with the rest of the novel. novel. the of rest the with context into expressions because of how dangerous it it dangerous how of because expressions character growth, or or growth, character

their own, frequently feel difficult to put put to difficult feel frequently own, their she and other worms rarely have facial facial have rarely worms other and she really showing weakness, weakness, showing really

are often entertaining and exciting on on exciting and entertaining often are several times throughout the book that that book the throughout times several situation, while never never while situation,

various exploits, which, even though they they though even which, exploits, various not to display emotion. She mentions mentions She emotion. display to not in another advantageous advantageous another in

more concerned with detailing Oichi’s Oichi’s detailing with concerned more cause Oichi, as a worm, has been trained trained been has worm, a as Oichi, cause one situation and land land and situation one

enough concrete information. It is far far is It information. concrete enough - be certainly is this of Part emotion. or she does, to escape from from escape to does, she

built, but again, the novel doesn’t offer offer doesn’t novel the again, but built, incredibly good at what what at good incredibly ally showing weakness, character growth, growth, character weakness, showing ally

Oichi continues to be be to continues Oichi the generation ships and when they were were they when and ships generation the advantageous situation, while never re never while situation, advantageous -

something specific about the nature of of nature the about specific something from one situation and land in another another in land and situation one from

is particularly frustrating. It could mean mean could It frustrating. particularly is credibly good at what she does, to escape escape to does, she what at good credibly

century or earlier earlier or century 21 early the from be anything more. Oichi continues to be in be to continues Oichi more. anything -

h book this in cited slang, only appens to to appens triguing start, but it doesn’t develop into into develop doesn’t it but start, triguing

the fact that the only media, as well as the the as well as media, only the that fact the doesn’t enjoy it. This makes for an in an for makes This it. enjoy doesn’t -

It may be that this is a gripe too far, but but far, too gripe a is this that be may It has few qualms about killing, though she she though killing, about qualms few has

world raises. raises. world She also begins the book by saying she she saying by book the begins also She

relate to the implied questions that the the that questions implied the to relate voices in her head telling her what to do. do. to what her telling head her in voices

nates from, but those questions never never questions those but from, nates members of high society, she has literal literal has she society, high of members

the upper class, is where the ship origi ship the where is class, upper the - out of her depth, such as impersonating impersonating as such depth, her of out

and when she is in situations situations in is she when and — to according that, planet origin falsified she tries she y When Is a Character Not the Character? A Study in Honor, by Claire O'Dell, Harper Voyager, July 2018, 304 pp., $15.99 ($19.99 Canada). reviewed by Cynthia Ward

The back cover copy of A Study in Honor describes it as a “fresh feminist twist on” Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson, which set me to wondering about the history of Holmes and Watson pastiches. I swiftly learned that In discussion with the Sherlock, the most famous character in English literature, inspired dozens of Sherlockian scholar black pastiche, Holmes and Watson Resa Haile, I’ve learned pastiches even before the death of his are modern-day, Harlem-based African the first non-parodic creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859- American crime-fighters in the comic female Sherlock Holmes 1930). Since then, variations of the book title Watson and Holmes, launched in English language consulting detective and his friend and by New Paradigm Studios in 2013. literature is probably associate have grown too numerous to The first work in which the famous the character who cross- count. But, while they’ve regularly been pair are queer African-American cis dresses to pass as male time-shifted to contemporaneous or women in a dystopic near-future United under the name Sherlock future decades, SH/JW pastiches have States must surely be A Study in Honor Holmes in Margaret Park retained the race, gender, nationality, by Claire O’Dell (a transparent pseud- Bridges’ 2011 novel, My and sexuality established in the “Canon” onym for award-winning novelist and Dear Watson. (Conan Doyle’s official Holmes fiction) short story author Beth Bernobich). until recently. The first book of a new series (The Janet In discussion with the Sherlockian Watson Chronicles), its title and rough H scholar Resa Haile, I’ve learned the first outlines riff onA Study in Scarlet (1887), non-parodic female Sherlock Holmes 16 the Conan Doyle multiple-murder mys- in English language literature is prob- tery that introduced Holmes and Wat- ably the bisexual punk ex-cop Sharon son to one another and the world. Holmes, whose Watson is the American There’s controversy in “flipping” the race, medical student Susan Prendergast, in Her post-Trumpian civil- creed, color, gender, or other significant Guy Davis and Gary Reed’s ten-issue war-torn United States aspect(s) of fan-favorite characters like alternate-history comic book, Baker is well developed — and Street (1989-1992; collected as Honour SH/JW, Dr. Who, and Ms. Marvel, terrifyingly plausible. Among Punks: The Complete Baker Street but I enjoy significant alteration when Her brilliant Holmes reasonably executed. It isn’t always. DC and veteran/doctor/ Graphic Novel, 2003). For the first sexually active Holmes, William S. Baring- Comics demonstrates a fundamental narrator Watson are misunderstanding of Captain Marvel tough, complex, nuanced, Gould’s biography, Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street: A Life of the World’s First a.k.a. Shazam!, the sunny superhero engaging characters — like aimed at kids, when they insert him into Conan Doyle’s brilliant Consulting Detective (1962), posits an affair between Holmes and another Ca- an antiheroic Watchmen-esque comic Holmes and veteran/ aimed at adults — an interpretation I doctor/narrator Watson — nonical character, the adventuress Irene can only reject as clueless. But flipping, and they face a suitably Adler. The first gay Sherlock (depend- intricate and challenging ing on how you interpret the film, and done well, offers new insight into both a multiple-murder mystery. queerness, and the Canonical Holmes) well-known character and the world we may be in Billy Wilder’s film,The Pri- inhabit. It also stimulates a pleasurable vate Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). Per tension between what is changed and Sherlockian.net, “[t]he first expression what isn’t. in print of the idea that Watson and In A Study in Honor, O’Dell executes Holmes were lovers came with the pub- her significant changes thoughtfully, with lication of Larry Townsend’s The Sexual strong prose and feminist themes. Her Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in 1971” post-Trumpian civil-war-torn United

(http://www.sherlockian.net/investigat- States is well developed — and terrifyingly

ing/compound-a-felony/). In the first plausible. Her brilliant Holmes and vet n

and Watson. and

lead characters didn’t feel like Holmes Holmes like feel didn’t characters lead

so O’Dell’s changes didn’t explain why her her why explain didn’t changes O’Dell’s so

terpretations considerably more vexing, vexing, more considerably terpretations

Adventure of the Dux Bellorum. Dux the of Adventure in Holmes and divergent more even

The The and Countess Incognita the such detachment to SH/JW pastiches pastiches SH/JW to detachment such

Watson. and Holmes

The Adventure of of Adventure The novels, short However, I haven’t reacted with with reacted haven’t I However,

and Watson until they’re they’re until Watson and

Aqueduct is publishing her her publishing is Aqueduct prised to see name-checked here). name-checked see to prised

Holmes Holmes as leads the accept

. . Approach Practical A Other: the

- unsur wholly was I (whom Torvingen

it is here. But I will not not will I But here. is it Writing Writing ed thor coau she Shawl,

wolfish, icy-hot thriller protagonist Aud Aud protagonist thriller icy-hot wolfish,

when it’s skillfully told, as as told, skillfully it’s when Volumes 1-2. With Nisi Nisi With 1-2. Volumes West

Holmes than to Nicola Griffith’s lone- Griffith’s Nicola to than Holmes

will still enjoy the story story the enjoy still will

Forgotten Tales of the Weird Weird the of Tales Forgotten

to owe less to the Canonical Sherlock Sherlock Canonical the to less owe to

forge their partnership, I I partnership, their forge

Lost Trails: Trails: Lost edited She elsewhere.

ical asshole?), and she sometimes seems seems sometimes she and asshole?), ical

hundreds of pages to to pages of hundreds

, and and , Nightmare , Asimov’s , Analog

- neurotyp a borderline? spectrum? the on

thing. If it takes the pair pair the takes it If thing. Cynthia Ward has sold stories to to stories sold has Ward Cynthia

than a bit puzzling (is she supposed to be be to supposed she (is puzzling bit a than the relationship’s the the relationship’s the

its Holmes is a bit simplified and more more and simplified bit a is Holmes its misquote Shakespeare, Shakespeare, misquote

ror of making its Watson dimwitted, but but dimwitted, Watson its making of ror Holmes and Watson. To To Watson. and Holmes

- er infuriating the commit doesn’t Honor Watson is Watson and Holmes — —

A Study in in Study A off-putting. and popular ingly Holmes and Watson are are Watson and Holmes

- increas both alteration an — and Watson and What persuades me me persuades What

obtained between Conan Doyle’s Holmes Holmes Doyle’s Conan between obtained

more dysfunctional than that which was was which that than dysfunctional more

. Honor in Study A to sequels the the roommates’ relationship considerably considerably relationship roommates’ the

that will leave you as eager as I to read read to I as eager as you leave will that highly controlling, to the point of making making of point the to controlling, highly

Watson and Sara Holmes create is one one is create Holmes Sara and Watson secretive, and scarily insightful. She’s also also She’s insightful. scarily and secretive,

Either way, the partnership Dr. Janet Janet Dr. partnership the way, Either ployment, but she’s abrasive, invasive, invasive, abrasive, she’s but ployment,

matter of taste. of matter - em land Watson helps She mate.

you won’t. It’s not a matter of craft; it’s a a it’s craft; of matter a not It’s won’t. you room problematical a proves Holmes

i yet electrifying agreement. If you don’t, don’t, you If agreement. electrifying yet apartment.

until the pair finally make that simple simple that make finally pair the until from money and easily secures a luxury luxury a secures easily and money from

perience frustration, even estrangement, estrangement, even frustration, perience though she clearly comes comes clearly she though — DC rents DC

- ex may you feeling, this share you If roommate so she can afford Washington, Washington, afford can she so roommate

enhancements, Holmes claims to need a a need to claims Holmes enhancements,

Watson. and Holmes they’re

beautiful civilian with cyberpunkish cyberpunkish with civilian beautiful

Holmes and Watson until until Watson and Holmes as leads

introduces Watson to Sara Holmes. A A Holmes. Sara to Watson introduces

is here. But I will not accept the the accept not will I But here. is

homelessness. Then a fellow veteran veteran fellow a Then homelessness.

story when it’s skillfully told, as it it as told, skillfully it’s when story

skilled surgeon facing joblessness and and joblessness facing surgeon skilled

partnership, I will still enjoy the the enjoy still will I partnership,

a subpar prosthetic arm that leaves the the leaves that arm prosthetic subpar a

hundreds of pages to forge their their forge to pages of hundreds pages compulsively. pages

Dr. Janet Watson exits the army with with army the exits Watson Janet Dr.

novel highly and turned its its turned and highly novel

ship’s the thing. If it takes the pair pair the takes it If thing. the ship’s

Scarred physically and emotionally, emotionally, and physically Scarred

I enjoyed this literary literary this enjoyed I - relation the Shakespeare, quote

both characters? both

- mis To Watson. and Holmes — is

by some more subtle change to one or or one to change subtle more some by

Watson are Holmes and Watson Watson and Holmes are Watson

were well done. Was my reaction caused caused reaction my Was done. well were

What persuades me Holmes and and Holmes me persuades What

My reaction puzzled me. The flips flips The me. puzzled reaction My

leads are named Holmes and Watson. and Holmes named are leads originals, I finally understand: finally I originals,

changed, and kept wondering why the the why wondering kept and changed, Holmes and Watson, both pastiches and and pastiches both Watson, and Holmes

no frisson between the changes and the the and changes the between frisson no After decades of familiarity with with familiarity of decades After

Yet for over 200 pages I experienced experienced I pages 200 over for Yet Mystery solved. Mystery

turned its pages compulsively. pages its turned exciting level. exciting

I enjoyed this literary novel highly and and highly novel literary this enjoyed I novel rocketed to a whole new, far more more far new, whole a to rocketed novel

challenging multiple-murder mystery. mystery. multiple-murder challenging tense and unflaggingly interesting interesting unflaggingly and tense

and they face a suitably intricate and and intricate suitably a face they and at which point, this reasonably reasonably this point, which at —

— and veteran/doctor/narrator Watson veteran/doctor/narrator and — multi-death mystery multi-death

like Conan Doyle’s brilliant Holmes Holmes brilliant Doyle’s Conan like agreed to work together to solve the the solve to together work to agreed

— — complex, nuanced, engaging characters engaging nuanced, complex, page proof copy, and O’Dell’s leads leads O’Dell’s and copy, proof page

eran/doctor/narrator Watson are tough, tough, are Watson eran/doctor/narrator Then I reached page 208 of the 294- the of 208 page reached I Then y A Boyish Romp Through the Wild The Invisible Valley, by Su Wei (translated by Austin Woerner), Small Beer, April 2018, 400 pp., $16.00. reviewed by Arley Sorg

Lu Beiping is a 21-year-old in Chi- na during the Cultural Revolution. He is “one of 20 million young adults the Chinese government uproots and sends far from their homes for agricultural re- education.” Translation: he’s sent to a work camp in the mountains to perform grueling physical labor, mostly cultivat- ing and tapping rubber trees. He is re- with a deep familiarity of Chinese liter- Perhaps the most bellious enough to be a smart-ass and to ary traditions are likely fewer. interesting thing is that feel different from everyone else, but not Caveat in place, there are a number this is a tale set in an enough to get in trouble. He also has a of elements that stand out as wonderful, era when the Chinese while there are a few that make the read government is taking discreet, budding romance with a young woman in the camp, the very sort of a challenge. Perhaps the most interesting deliberate steps to thing is that this is a tale set in an era homogenize culture across thing that is frowned upon (and potentially considered “perverse”). when the Chinese government is taking wide swaths of land…. deliberate steps to homogenize culture One evening the camp foreman’s fam- across wide swaths of land: eradicating ily gets Lu drunk and marries him to the linguistic differences by forcing people foreman’s dead daughter in a ceremony to use Mandarin; rendering many kinds called a “ghost marriage.” Becoming the of speech illegal and getting people foreman’s son-in-law gives Lu certain ad- H to turn each other in for saying even vantages. But soon after the marriage, the slightly questionable things; punishing 18 foreman sends him to the outskirts of the and eliminating religious practices; and encampment to work as a cattle herder, a Invisible Valley…draws much, much more. As a result, stories job that seems much easier — at first. from a number of cultures, we encounter in the United States often Lu initially enjoys the solitude of be- languages, and practices. present China with limited cultural vari- ing a cattle herder, although the sounds Doing so allows the reader ations. Invisible Valley, however, draws and silences of the night terrify him. He glimpses at the diversity of from a number of cultures, languages, a nation that is too often is distraught over the ghost marriage and practices. Doing so allows the reader rendered as uniform. (though intrigued by the possibility of a glimpses at the diversity of a nation that ghost wife), and upset about being torn is too often rendered as uniform. Lu away from his love interest. Moreover, stands as a great set of eyes for this, in the sudden promotion inspires bitter ri- that he is originally a city-dweller, and valry with the prior cattle herder, Kam, The prose…is strong, many of the cultural differences he en- who has been reassigned. Things grow descriptive, and often counters are new and strange to him beautiful. more interesting when Lu stumbles (ghost marriage and polyamory, for ex- onto an illegal tobacco patch and sub- ample). Cultural diversity is examined sequently encounters Smudge, a naked through food, beliefs, stories, and more. boy who speaks with “an odd, unplace- The prose of Invisible Valley is strong, able brogue,” and who is the child of a descriptive, and often beautiful. Meta- polyamorous family of drifters. phors and imagery such as, “The sun beat Okay, caveat time: I don’t know much down, seething over him, turning his about Chinese literature. There could be body into a hunk of glowing charcoal, aspects of the narrative that I’m miss- and soon his ‘magistrates’ cloth was a suit ing or don’t understand, not having any of salt-crusted armor, hardened by wave context but my own. At the same time, after wave of drying sweat,” create an

I’m betting many potential readers will immersive story full of sensory engage-

be coming from a similar place; readers ment. Clever lines and interesting turns n

- de prose overwrought and womanhood and hopes to launch more. launch to hopes and

volves into trite depictions of sexualized sexualized of depictions trite into volves short stories into orbit, orbit, into stories short time to fully savor the experience. the savor fully to time

- de occasionally narrative The better. the novel, has thrown a few few a thrown has novel, enjoyed slowly, thoughtfully, and with with and thoughtfully, slowly, enjoyed

comes to the fore, and not always for for always not and fore, the to comes He’s soldering together a a together soldering He’s like a carefully prepared meal, it’s best best it’s meal, prepared carefully a like

turity of the main character sometimes sometimes character main the of turity Locus Magazine. Locus at editor

shared with friends and colleagues. And And colleagues. and friends with shared

- imma boyish the such, As tale. of-age graduate, he’s an assistant assistant an he’s graduate, be read and argued over; it should be be should it over; argued and read be

Writing Workshop Workshop Writing Finally, this is a young man’s coming- man’s young a is this Finally, tism, and closed-mindedness. It should should It closed-mindedness. and tism,

shops. A 2014 Odyssey Odyssey 2014 A shops. action and doing things. doing and action - conserva communism, against polemic

writes in local coffee coffee local in writes

feelings and thoughts, rather than taking taking than rather thoughts, and feelings ing. It can even be seen as a humanizing humanizing a as seen be even can It ing.

Oakland, California and and California Oakland,

and spending a lot of time exploring his his exploring time of lot a spending and - suffer and trauma, with coping survival,

Arley Sorg lives in in lives Sorg Arley

heavily on Lu thinking about situations situations about thinking Lu on heavily each other’s strangeness. It’s also about about also It’s strangeness. other’s each

to this the fact that the narrative leans leans narrative the that fact the this to a story about people crossing the gulf of of gulf the crossing people about story a

back on this moment years later….” Add Add later….” years moment this on back and drama. Importantly, at heart this is is this heart at Importantly, drama. and

ing commentary, in the style of “looking “looking of style the in commentary, ing usual. It’s full of surprises, lore, mystery, mystery, lore, surprises, of full It’s usual.

- captivat less for interrupted sometimes - un and interesting be to book vivid this

quence is that captivating moments are are moments captivating that is quence few criticisms, patient readers will find find will readers patient criticisms, few

- conse the feeling, of kind story” true a provoking, and often funny. Despite a a Despite funny. often and provoking,

device may be meant to create a “this is is “this a create to meant be may device is complex, thought- complex, is Valley Invisible

mittedly dramatizing them). While this this While them). dramatizing mittedly she is both. is she

- ad (including memories Lu’s adult on

of male fantasy fulfillment. Or perhaps perhaps Or fulfillment. fantasy male of

suffering. and

and who bases the entire story loosely loosely story entire the bases who and him is reduced to being just another case case another just being to reduced is him

coping with trauma, trauma, with coping

field survey for a boring research paper,” paper,” research boring a for survey field more acceptable, and in de-virginizing de-virginizing in and acceptable, more

also about survival, survival, about also

Beiping as an adult during a “routine “routine a during adult an as Beiping ing control makes the experience of sex sex of experience the makes control ing

other’s strangeness. It’s It’s strangeness. other’s

a grad student who encounters Lu Lu encounters who student grad a - tak in and woods, the in Lu virginizes

crossing the gulf of each each of gulf the crossing

penned by the fictional author “Tsung,” “Tsung,” author fictional the by penned

(read: 25) who takes control and de- and control takes who 25) (read: is a story about people people about story a is

sarily complex framing device: a novel novel a device: framing complex sarily

an “exotic” sex symbol, an “older woman” woman” “older an symbol, sex “exotic” an Importantly, at heart this this heart at Importantly,

- unneces an employs also story The Or she may be a gorgeous “wild woman,” woman,” “wild gorgeous a be may she Or mystery, and drama. drama. and mystery, 19

cise patience. cise find “normal” are considered “perverse”). “perverse”). considered are “normal” find

It’s full of surprises, lore, lore, surprises, of full It’s

- exer to have will tale plotted strongly a heterosexual expressions that we would would we that expressions heterosexual interesting and unusual. unusual. and interesting

matter.” Nonetheless, readers hungry for for hungry readers Nonetheless, matter.” creasingly restrictive society (where even even (where society restrictive creasingly this vivid book to be be to book vivid this

Chance No. Chance is no laughing laughing no is Chance No. — - in an of edge the on living especially patient readers will find find will readers patient

make a joke out of a lot of things, but but things, of lot a of out joke a make Despite a few criticisms, criticisms, few a Despite of the standard expectations of gender, gender, of expectations standard the of

ing to the nature of the plot: “You can can “You plot: the of nature the to ing an empowered figure who upends many many upends who figure empowered an

- point sense a in chance, of nature the matriarch of the drifter family, may be be may family, drifter the of matriarch

chance. Lu comments several times on on times several comments Lu chance. be questionable. Jade, the polyamorous polyamorous the Jade, questionable. be

third. Most of what happens is driven by by driven is happens what of Most third. cues to suggest that these were meant to to meant were these that suggest to cues

slow on plot, especially through its first first its through especially plot, on slow fortable for me, especially without overt overt without especially me, for fortable

is is Valley Invisible downside, the On - uncom and distracting were interest

along with Lu’s reflections and growth. and reflections Lu’s with along tal outbursts towards his first romantic romantic first his towards outbursts tal

examine her own equivalent experiences, experiences, equivalent own her examine combined with his almost violent men violent almost his with combined -

have to exercise patience. exercise to have strange brings the reader (hopefully) to to (hopefully) reader the brings strange recurring descriptor of attractiveness) attractiveness) of descriptor recurring

strongly plotted tale will will tale plotted strongly prejudice, and his interactions with the the with interactions his and prejudice, fascination with female docility (as a a (as docility female with fascination

readers hungry for a a for hungry readers

ters evoke reactions, often including including often reactions, evoke ters All the same, the main character’s character’s main the same, the All

the nature of the plot…. plot…. the of nature the

degrees of “otherness.” These encoun These “otherness.” of degrees - veat above. veat

in a sense pointing to to pointing sense a in

speaking. He then encounters increasing increasing encounters then He speaking. - ca the to refer please And story. the of

on the nature of chance, chance, of nature the on

and perhaps even “perverted,” relatively relatively “perverted,” even perhaps and

perspectives within the cultural context context cultural the within perspectives

Lu comments several times times several comments Lu

interactions) who is himself slightly odd odd slightly himself is who interactions) perhaps one might say these are “normal” “normal” are these say might one perhaps

be somewhat popular based on his social social his on based popular somewhat be on gender within Chinese culture(s). Or, Or, culture(s). Chinese within gender on

described outsider (despite appearing to to appearing (despite outsider described arguably there may be sly commentaries commentaries sly be may there arguably

stage of the story. He begins as a self- a as begins He story. the of stage wholly unlike any he’s met before; and and before; met he’s any unlike wholly

strange challenge him through each each through him challenge strange Lu encounters in Jade a woman who is is who woman a Jade in encounters Lu

Lu’s experiences of the new and the the and new the of experiences Lu’s on. Arguably, these moments shift when when shift moments these Arguably, on.

quarter rest in the march of daily life….” daily of march the in rest quarter with regards to gender, especially early early especially gender, to regards with

other people, boredom was an accent, a a accent, an was boredom people, other world…”). There are troubling moments moments troubling are There world…”).

that hidden valley, into the dim other dim the into valley, hidden that - their own right: “When you were around around were you “When right: own their

scribing sex (“…he pressed onward into into onward pressed (“…he sex scribing of phrases are intellectually engaging in in engaging intellectually are phrases of Space Babes Change the World Jeanne Gomoll These alternate Space Babe draw- realize at the time that we are apparently ings spilled out onto my screen over the in the midst of an explosion of interest in course of a couple months from late 2017 coloring books. But I’m happy to see that into 2018. I had designed the Tiptree this has turned out to be a good time to trademark/mascot — “Space Babe” — back release the Space Babe Coloring Book. in 1997 as an ironic play on images of So the book came out in time for women in pulp SF zines of the ’50s. But WisCon 42. From the Introduction: in spite of the mocking tone that had The Space Babe Coloring Book has inspired the image, I grew increasingly 36 pages and 37 diverse represen- uncomfortable that this retro-’40s white tations of that amazing superhero lady had come to represent the Tiptree Space Babe, perfect for coloring by Award — an award that increasingly cel- wanna-be Space Babes of all ages. ebrates diverse and gender-fluid explo- The original Space Babe — a kick- rations of gender in science fiction and ass gal with a raygun — was created fantasy. The award continues to evolve decades ago by artist and science and grow, but Space Babe seemed stuck fiction fan Jeanne Gomoll. This in an out-of-date vision of women and year, Jeanne realized that the orig- the future. The irony was wearing thin inal Space Babe is not alone. And for me, and I expect others too. so Jeanne created many Space So, I started thinking about enlarging Babes, all ready to fight for the and diversifying the Space Babe family. rights of all. With colored pencils, Frankly, I became obsessed with draw- you can help reimagine the future ing the new images. I worked several with images of gender-fluid space “all-nighters” because I couldn’t get an babes, young space-babes-in- H idea out of my head. One night after training, explorers, activists, con- watching the news, I thought, “POTUS! 20 struction workers, bakers, athletes, There needs to be a Space Babe PO- intergalactic pirates, a woman TUS!” I couldn’t help myself. I stumbled POTUS, and other Space Babes back downstairs to my office and start- of different shapes, ethnicities, ed a new drawing. Friends mentioned jobs, & attitudes. Space Babe is Space Babes they’d like to see. I made a symbol of the James Tiptree Jr. notes, and the images bubbled up in my Award, a literary award presented mind. I would be talking with my part- annually to a work of speculative ner about some mundane matter and he fiction that explores and expands would realize that I wasn’t paying close gender roles. All proceeds go to attention to the conversation. My eyes the Tiptree Award. would wander. “Are you thinking about Now that the book is in print, that a new drawing?” Yes, I was. I thought hasn’t stopped me from thinking about about the Space Babes constantly; I new drawings. I’ve got one idea for a spent hours drawing. dancer, leaping into the air, who sees But I didn’t know what I would DO herself in the mirror as Space Babe in with the drawings. I created the first al- outer space. I suspect that a sequel may ternate drawing — Space Babe Baker — as be likely! the artwork for the cover of the revised cookbook, The Bakery Men Don’t See. But soon there were a half dozen, and then The Tiptree Award: https://tiptree.org there were more. Pat Murphy, founding To buy the Space Babe Coloring Book: mother and chair of the motherboard www.lulu.com/spotlight/TiptreeAward worried that if we used them all as t- shirt or mug or tote bag art, we’d simply

Featured Artist have too much merchandise. But I had

a brainstorm about how to use them

ALL — I’d make a coloring book! I didn’t n

i $5.00 The Cascadia Subduction Zone PO Box 95787 Seattle, WA 98145-2787