Catherine Asaro's Blog - Posts Tagged "fantasy"
Nebula Awards Weekend
Well, I'm off in a few hours to the mass author signing at the Nebula Awards weekend. The event is 5:30-7:30 pm. The address is
Hyatt Regency Crystal City
Reagan National Airport
2799 Jefferson Davis Hwy
Arlington, VA 22202
Arlington Virginia is a bit of a drive for me, but one that I enjoy. It's a great day for a "Sunday" drive (okay, a Friday drive :-)). The weather is almost perfect outside. If only it could be like this for most of the year. Not all, though. We need a few snow storms to liven things up.
I'm especially excited this year because I am the editor of the Nebula Awards anthology that SFWA puts out each year. We will be showcasing the award winners, other authors, and also the Rysling winners in poetry. Past editors have included James Patrick Kelly & John Kessel (2012), Kevin J. Anderson (2011), Bill Fawcett (2010), Ellen Datlow (2009), Ben Bova (2008), Mike Resnick (2007), Gardner Dozois (2006), Jack Dann (2005), and Vonda N. McIntyre (2004). Those are the ones listed at the SFWA site.
For other details, you can look at the SFWA site note for the signing.
If you're in the area today, I hope you can come by. You don't need to be registered as an attendee at the Nebula Awards to go to the signing.
Hyatt Regency Crystal City
Reagan National Airport
2799 Jefferson Davis Hwy
Arlington, VA 22202
Arlington Virginia is a bit of a drive for me, but one that I enjoy. It's a great day for a "Sunday" drive (okay, a Friday drive :-)). The weather is almost perfect outside. If only it could be like this for most of the year. Not all, though. We need a few snow storms to liven things up.
I'm especially excited this year because I am the editor of the Nebula Awards anthology that SFWA puts out each year. We will be showcasing the award winners, other authors, and also the Rysling winners in poetry. Past editors have included James Patrick Kelly & John Kessel (2012), Kevin J. Anderson (2011), Bill Fawcett (2010), Ellen Datlow (2009), Ben Bova (2008), Mike Resnick (2007), Gardner Dozois (2006), Jack Dann (2005), and Vonda N. McIntyre (2004). Those are the ones listed at the SFWA site.
For other details, you can look at the SFWA site note for the signing.
If you're in the area today, I hope you can come by. You don't need to be registered as an attendee at the Nebula Awards to go to the signing.
Aly Parsons, 1952-2020
In memory of Aly Parsons
A pillar of the science fiction and fantasy community.
I always knew Susan by the name Aly, which was how she introduced herself when we first met. It took years before I realized many people called her Susan. By either name, she will always hold a special place in my heart. We met so long ago, I’m not sure of the exact date, though I think it happened in 1997. She invited me to her writers’ group or perhaps I asked to join; after more than two decades, I no longer remember which of us approached the other. This much I know; that day began an immensely rewarding friendship that lasted decades, as we bonded over our shared love of science fiction and fantasy. Aly’s workshop became a staple in my life, its members some of my most valued friends in our writing community. Over the decades, several times I had to leave the group, unable to manage the format and schedule with my own work. But Aly always left the option open for me to return, and so, every time, I found my way home.
Aly created an atmosphere in our group that felt friendly, relaxed, and valuable. She somehow managed to keep a group of professional writers on track and coming back each month for years, a feat akin to herding cats. At first we met at the house she shared with her husband Paul, and then later, after his passing, we met more and more often at the Weidler home of her family. Over the years, I had the pleasure of meeting her father, her sister Wendy, her brother-in-law Carl, and the rest of her extended family. Although our group rotated among the homes of other members, the place where Aly lived served as our main location. Her family was good-natured with our monthly trek to their home and always made us feel welcome. Although I’ve been fortunate to join a number of excellent writing groups, I’ve never found another like the one Aly put together. It is a testament to her people skills, her ability to organize, and her good nature that she achieved such success with the group. It has lasted decades, included so many accomplished writers, and offered such great benefits.
Aly also places among the best critiquers I ever hired for my writing. She worked as an editor for me almost up to the end, reading my work even in those last few months. She read more—and let me get away with less—than any other reader. She understood my way with words; the writing awards I’ve won owe a debt to her editing. She had a gift for seeing what I wanted to do, showing me where I failed to achieve it, and helping me find the way to my goals. I will sorely miss her wisdom and insight, and also her kindness.
I have fond memories of visiting with Aly outside of the workshop. We often worked on her novels or talked more generally about writing. After her sight began to fail, I’d read passages to her from books she liked or from her own work. We talked about everything from the nitty-gritty of rewrites to world-building to her wide-ranging dreams for her fiction. Sometimes we went for jaunts, to see a movie or have lunch together, trying out different cafes. One of the last times we met for a meal, she showed me a wonderful Asian restaurant tucked away in a lot, hidden behind buildings that faced on the street. It didn’t look like much on the outside, but going inside was like being transported to a different place, with excellent food, service, and company, and a wonderful meal all around.
The last time we hoped to meet for lunch, I received an invitation to read my work that day at an event sponsored by Galactic Philadelphia. I asked Aly if she’d like to come. I feared she might have to say no, since she was on dialysis then, but to my delight, she said yes. So she, my daughter, and I hopped in the car (well, okay, maybe we slid sedately onto the seats) and set off for our adventure in Philadelphia. We had quite the time, driving around the city looking for a place to eat. We finally found a Greek café, but it couldn’t hold a candle to the places we’d tried in Maryland. Then we went to the Philadelphia Free Library for the reading, where they treated us wonderfully. By the time we returned to Maryland, it was late, so we said goodnight and talked about arranging for another lunch some time in the future.
We never had that next lunch date. The trip to Philadelphia was the last time I saw Aly. Although I moved not long after to New York, I’d intended to come back to visit. But it wasn’t to be. So I will always especially treasure our last outing.
The final time I spoke to Aly came just before she went to her rest. She asked if I was still willing to finish her books, as we had discussed long ago. I had offered to complete her work if she ever needed the help, but I never expected—or hoped I’d never need to expect—that a day would come when she asked me to carry through on my promise. She honored me by trusting me to complete her work. And so I inherited her brilliant, wonderful novels, the first two of which she had almost finished and the last which exists in her notes and our final discussion. That final conversation offered a fitting tribute to how our friendship began: with our writing and our dreams for our books.
Aly, I miss you. I wish we’d had more time. If somewhere your spirit is watching, please know that you live on in the enduring impact you made on all of us who were fortunate enough to join your writers’ group. I promise I will do my utmost to finish your books and see them through to publication. Your spirit will live on in the genius of your imagination and your gifts as a storyteller.
-- Catherine Asaro
A pillar of the science fiction and fantasy community.
I always knew Susan by the name Aly, which was how she introduced herself when we first met. It took years before I realized many people called her Susan. By either name, she will always hold a special place in my heart. We met so long ago, I’m not sure of the exact date, though I think it happened in 1997. She invited me to her writers’ group or perhaps I asked to join; after more than two decades, I no longer remember which of us approached the other. This much I know; that day began an immensely rewarding friendship that lasted decades, as we bonded over our shared love of science fiction and fantasy. Aly’s workshop became a staple in my life, its members some of my most valued friends in our writing community. Over the decades, several times I had to leave the group, unable to manage the format and schedule with my own work. But Aly always left the option open for me to return, and so, every time, I found my way home.
Aly created an atmosphere in our group that felt friendly, relaxed, and valuable. She somehow managed to keep a group of professional writers on track and coming back each month for years, a feat akin to herding cats. At first we met at the house she shared with her husband Paul, and then later, after his passing, we met more and more often at the Weidler home of her family. Over the years, I had the pleasure of meeting her father, her sister Wendy, her brother-in-law Carl, and the rest of her extended family. Although our group rotated among the homes of other members, the place where Aly lived served as our main location. Her family was good-natured with our monthly trek to their home and always made us feel welcome. Although I’ve been fortunate to join a number of excellent writing groups, I’ve never found another like the one Aly put together. It is a testament to her people skills, her ability to organize, and her good nature that she achieved such success with the group. It has lasted decades, included so many accomplished writers, and offered such great benefits.
Aly also places among the best critiquers I ever hired for my writing. She worked as an editor for me almost up to the end, reading my work even in those last few months. She read more—and let me get away with less—than any other reader. She understood my way with words; the writing awards I’ve won owe a debt to her editing. She had a gift for seeing what I wanted to do, showing me where I failed to achieve it, and helping me find the way to my goals. I will sorely miss her wisdom and insight, and also her kindness.
I have fond memories of visiting with Aly outside of the workshop. We often worked on her novels or talked more generally about writing. After her sight began to fail, I’d read passages to her from books she liked or from her own work. We talked about everything from the nitty-gritty of rewrites to world-building to her wide-ranging dreams for her fiction. Sometimes we went for jaunts, to see a movie or have lunch together, trying out different cafes. One of the last times we met for a meal, she showed me a wonderful Asian restaurant tucked away in a lot, hidden behind buildings that faced on the street. It didn’t look like much on the outside, but going inside was like being transported to a different place, with excellent food, service, and company, and a wonderful meal all around.
The last time we hoped to meet for lunch, I received an invitation to read my work that day at an event sponsored by Galactic Philadelphia. I asked Aly if she’d like to come. I feared she might have to say no, since she was on dialysis then, but to my delight, she said yes. So she, my daughter, and I hopped in the car (well, okay, maybe we slid sedately onto the seats) and set off for our adventure in Philadelphia. We had quite the time, driving around the city looking for a place to eat. We finally found a Greek café, but it couldn’t hold a candle to the places we’d tried in Maryland. Then we went to the Philadelphia Free Library for the reading, where they treated us wonderfully. By the time we returned to Maryland, it was late, so we said goodnight and talked about arranging for another lunch some time in the future.
We never had that next lunch date. The trip to Philadelphia was the last time I saw Aly. Although I moved not long after to New York, I’d intended to come back to visit. But it wasn’t to be. So I will always especially treasure our last outing.
The final time I spoke to Aly came just before she went to her rest. She asked if I was still willing to finish her books, as we had discussed long ago. I had offered to complete her work if she ever needed the help, but I never expected—or hoped I’d never need to expect—that a day would come when she asked me to carry through on my promise. She honored me by trusting me to complete her work. And so I inherited her brilliant, wonderful novels, the first two of which she had almost finished and the last which exists in her notes and our final discussion. That final conversation offered a fitting tribute to how our friendship began: with our writing and our dreams for our books.
Aly, I miss you. I wish we’d had more time. If somewhere your spirit is watching, please know that you live on in the enduring impact you made on all of us who were fortunate enough to join your writers’ group. I promise I will do my utmost to finish your books and see them through to publication. Your spirit will live on in the genius of your imagination and your gifts as a storyteller.
-- Catherine Asaro
My Philcon schedule
Here is my Philcon schedule for this weekend. Hope you can come! philcon.org
Saturday, Nov 21, 4pm EST, Plaza 1: Drift Compatible: The Science of Neural Interface Technology
Saturday, Nov 21, 7pm EST: Reading, Catherine Asaro
Sunday, Nov 22, 4pm EST, Plaza 1: Rule of Cool vs Actual Science
Saturday, Nov 21, 4pm EST, Plaza 1: Drift Compatible: The Science of Neural Interface Technology
Saturday, Nov 21, 7pm EST: Reading, Catherine Asaro
Sunday, Nov 22, 4pm EST, Plaza 1: Rule of Cool vs Actual Science
My Boskone schedule
I'm excited! I will be appearing at Boskone this weekend. Click here for my schedule.
ENTERING THE CYBERSPACE ERA
Friday night (tonight) 9:30 pm EST, Feb 12, 2021 (1 hour):
READING: DAVID BRIN AND CATHERINE ASARO
Saturday night, 7:00 pm EST, Feb 13, 2021 (1 hour)
I'm really looking forward to the con. I was their Hal Clement Science Speaker at Boskone 55, and I'd gone to various Boskone as a panelist in previous years. The nice part about doing cons on virtual platforms instead of in person is that folks like myself can participate from almost anywhere. Yay! I get to see many old friends, and I hope news ones as well.
DETAILS ABOUT PANELS
-------------------------------
ENTERING THE CYBERSPACE ERA Friday night (tonight) 9:30 pm EST, Feb 12, 2021 (1 hour):
PANELISTS: Catherine Asaro, Cory Doctorow, Beth Meacham, Eric Nunnally, Walter John Williams
DESCRIPTION: It's easy to dismiss the radical predictions cyberpunk stories made about cyberspace in the 21st century. How far off were they really? Video conferencing, virtual and augmented reality, gaming, online education, the Internet of Things. Let's look at how far the web, AI, and information technology have come, and speculate about where it's all going. Will the future be singular and pluralistic?
VIDEO: This item will be recorded and available for viewing by Boskone 58 registrants through the end of February. Go to the item in the schedule for the link to the recording.
------------------------------------------------------------
READING: DAVID BRIN AND CATHERINE ASARO
Saturday night, 7:00 pm EST, Feb 13, 2021 (1 hour)
PANELISTS: David Brin and Catherine Asaro
DESCRIPTION: We will each have half an hour to read from our work.
ENTERING THE CYBERSPACE ERA
Friday night (tonight) 9:30 pm EST, Feb 12, 2021 (1 hour):
READING: DAVID BRIN AND CATHERINE ASARO
Saturday night, 7:00 pm EST, Feb 13, 2021 (1 hour)
I'm really looking forward to the con. I was their Hal Clement Science Speaker at Boskone 55, and I'd gone to various Boskone as a panelist in previous years. The nice part about doing cons on virtual platforms instead of in person is that folks like myself can participate from almost anywhere. Yay! I get to see many old friends, and I hope news ones as well.
DETAILS ABOUT PANELS
-------------------------------
ENTERING THE CYBERSPACE ERA Friday night (tonight) 9:30 pm EST, Feb 12, 2021 (1 hour):
PANELISTS: Catherine Asaro, Cory Doctorow, Beth Meacham, Eric Nunnally, Walter John Williams
DESCRIPTION: It's easy to dismiss the radical predictions cyberpunk stories made about cyberspace in the 21st century. How far off were they really? Video conferencing, virtual and augmented reality, gaming, online education, the Internet of Things. Let's look at how far the web, AI, and information technology have come, and speculate about where it's all going. Will the future be singular and pluralistic?
VIDEO: This item will be recorded and available for viewing by Boskone 58 registrants through the end of February. Go to the item in the schedule for the link to the recording.
------------------------------------------------------------
READING: DAVID BRIN AND CATHERINE ASARO
Saturday night, 7:00 pm EST, Feb 13, 2021 (1 hour)
PANELISTS: David Brin and Catherine Asaro
DESCRIPTION: We will each have half an hour to read from our work.
Chapters 8-9 of the revised The Quantum Rose
I've posted chapters 8 and 9 of the revised The Quantum Rose on my Patreon page. Also, I've included links to the previous chapters.
www.patreon.com/posts/47807251
Previous chapters:
Chapter One: patreon.com/posts/42422847
Chapter Two: patreon.com/posts/43137948
Chapter Three: patreon.com/posts/43979714
Chapter Four: patreon.com/posts/46884976/
Chapter Five: patreon.com/posts/46406448/
Chapter Six and Seven: patreon.com/posts/47419530
Art Credit : Poster Foundry, "Multicolored Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) on Canadian Forest" posterfoundry.com
www.patreon.com/posts/47807251
Previous chapters:
Chapter One: patreon.com/posts/42422847
Chapter Two: patreon.com/posts/43137948
Chapter Three: patreon.com/posts/43979714
Chapter Four: patreon.com/posts/46884976/
Chapter Five: patreon.com/posts/46406448/
Chapter Six and Seven: patreon.com/posts/47419530
Art Credit : Poster Foundry, "Multicolored Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) on Canadian Forest" posterfoundry.com
First three Chapters of The Jigsaw Assassin available!
I've posted the first three chapters of the galleys for my next book, The Jigsaw Assassin, on my Patreon page. The book goes on sale July 5, 2022.
www.patreon.com/posts/64965631
I made this Patreon entry open to the public so anyone can read it. The see the other chapters I was working on, or the future chapters, please subscribe to my Patreon page. Any monthly amount works from $1 on up to whatever you wish.
www.patreon.com/posts/64965631
I made this Patreon entry open to the public so anyone can read it. The see the other chapters I was working on, or the future chapters, please subscribe to my Patreon page. Any monthly amount works from $1 on up to whatever you wish.
Garrison Keillor birthday mention
Well, this was a cool birthday present. Garrison Keillor mentioned me in his website, A Prarie Home Companion. Here is the link.
www.garrisonkeillor.com/radio/twa-the...
I’ve always loved his work. I love the way he talks and the subjects he talks about. He also writes bestselling books, including his Lake Wobegon series. I wasn’t sure whether to include a picture of his books, of him, or of his site. You can get the site from the above link. Both his portrait and the book cover are great, though, so I included them both.
www.garrisonkeillor.com/radio/twa-the...
I’ve always loved his work. I love the way he talks and the subjects he talks about. He also writes bestselling books, including his Lake Wobegon series. I wasn’t sure whether to include a picture of his books, of him, or of his site. You can get the site from the above link. Both his portrait and the book cover are great, though, so I included them both.
Signing/panel, Wed Dec 14, 2022
I'm doing a signing/panel next week on Wednesday, Dec 14, 2022 at 7:00 pm in the Port Jefferson Library, NY. It's with two other authors, Sarah Beth Durst and Kelley Skovron.
I hope you can come by!
If you think you will, please do register at the address for the library: portjefflibrary.org/authors
You can do a walk in instead of registering, and many people do. However, that means that they don't know how many will show up or even if anyone will come. Kelly Skovron has to travel from Washington D.C. to Long island, a several day trip for her, with the associated costs, so if they don't get enough pre-registrations, she may not be able to come.
Sarah and I will be there regardless because we are local, but it would be lovely if they had enough sign-ups that they felt okay about asking Kelley to come.
Here's the full address for the library:
150 East Main Street
Port Jefferson, NY 11777
Phone: (631) 509-5707
Web site: portjefflibrary.org
