As we write this, our daughter, Caitlin, is ill. We don’t know the severity of today’s illness. It might pass in hours, or be the first sign of a near-future hospitalization. Caitlin’s Aicardi syndrome creates a ton of medical issues. Caregiving her is often challenging, and sometimes terrifying. And yet, she has a great life. Caitlin has favorite shows and books. She travels to conventions and wrestling shows. Caitlin often tells us she is happy, and loves us and her friends.
How do we manage this life and create Uncanny at the same time? Some days, we’re not even sure. It is often very difficult. We push through, though. We truly believe that Uncanny is important; that it brings beauty and solace and catharsis and many things to many people. Stories and art are as necessary as food and oxygen for life.
There is a wonderful essay in this issue by Gay Haldeman that parallels many of our experiences. We simply couldn’t make any of this happen without the support of the SF/F community. Right now, many of our friends and readers are tweeting support to us as we see if Caitlin can keep her seizure meds down. This means a great deal. That love fuels us through not only taking care of Caitlin, but also making this very issue of Uncanny. Thank you, Space Unicorns.
In not unrelated news, Lynne and Michael are PLOTTING with the rest of Team Uncanny, as it is that time of the year. We will be running an Uncanny Magazine Year 9 Kickstarter starting REALLY SOON! Keep watching our Twitter and Facebook feeds and our newsletter for more information!
This is one of those hard news/good news posts, Space Unicorns.
The hard news is that after four years, Managing and Poetry Editor Chimedum Ohaegbu has decided to move on from her Uncanny editorial duties at the end of 2022. We can’t overstate how important Chimie has been to Uncanny. She started with us as an intern in 2018, became an Assistant Editor later that year, took over as Managing Editor in late 2019, and became Poetry Editor in 2020. She made everything look slick and professional, always had a strong voice in the poetry, stepped up to every challenge, and has been exemplary in every way. We really can’t say enough great things about Chimie and what she did to make Uncanny what it is today. We know that Chimie is going to do more fabulous things in the future. We wish her so much joy in the next step of her journey.
Chimie will be staying through Uncanny Magazine #49 (November/December 2022) to make sure we have a seamless editorial transition.
And now for the good news, Space Unicorns!
Starting with Uncanny Magazine #50 (January/February 2023), the new Managing Editor will be…
Monte Lin!!!!
Monte is the current Uncanny Magazine Assistant Editor, and started with us in 2021. He has done a phenomenal job, and we expect more tremendous things from him. He is working closely with Chimie, so we know this will be a fabulous transition. Monte is a rising superstar writer and editor, and it is such a joy to work with him. We are very excited about this!
Monte’s bio:
While being rained on adjacent to Portland, Oregon, Monte Lin edits and plays tabletop roleplaying games and writes short stories. Clarion West got him to write about dying universes, edible sins, dreaming mountains, and singularities made of anxieties. An Ignyte award finalist for his nonfiction in Strange Horizons, he also has fiction in Cossmass Infinities, Cast of Wonders, Flame Tree Press, and other publications. He can be found tweeting Doctor Who news, Asian American diaspora discourse, and his board game losses at @Monte_Lin.
Monte’s thoughtfulness and experience makes us believe he will be a great Uncanny Magazine Managing Editor. MONTE WILL BE AMAZING!!!
Uncanny Magazine Year 9 will be fantastic, Space Unicorns. Though many changes are happening, we will continue to have the BEST STAFF in the universe.
Fabulous news, Space Unicorns! “Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather” by Sarah Pinsker won the Best Short Story Nebula Award!!! Congratulations to Sarah and to all of the finalists!
Once again, congratulations to the other four Uncanny Magazine stories that were finalists: “The Giants of the Violet Sea” by Eugenia Triantafyllou for Best Novella, “Colors of the Immortal Palette” by Caroline M. Yoachim for Best Novelette, “That Story Isn’t the Story ” by John Wiswell for Best Novelette, and “Proof by Induction” by José Pablo Iriarte for Best Short Story.
Congratulations to all of the Nebula Award winners and finalists!
Wonderful news, Space Unicorns! “If the Martians Have Magic” by P. Djèlí Clark and “Proof by Induction” by José Pablo Iriarte are Sturgeon Memorial Award finalists! Congratulations to P. Djèlí Clark, José Pablo Iriarte, and all of the finalists!
From the press release:
The Sturgeon Award was established in 1987 by James Gunn, Founding Director of the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas, and the heirs of Theodore Sturgeon. The winner will be announced later this summer, and will be presented with their award and a cash prize as a guest of honor at our first annual Sturgeon Symposium this fall (9/29/22 – 9/30/22).
Stupendous news, Space Unicorns! “Mulberry and Owl” by Aliette de Bodard is a Best Novelette Locus Award finalist, “Unseelie Brothers, Ltd.” by Fran Wilde is a Best Novelette Locus Award finalist, “That Story Isn’t the Story” by John Wiswell is a Best Novelette Locus Award finalist, “If the Martians Have Magic” by P. Djèlí Clark is a Best Short Story Locus Award finalist, “Proof by Induction” by José Pablo Iriarte is a Best Short Story Locus Award finalist, “Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather” by Sarah Pinsker is a Best Short Story Locus Award finalist, and “The Sin of America” by Catherynne M. Valente is a Best Short Story Locus Award finalist! Congratulations to everyone!!! Plus, Uncanny Magazine is a Best Magazine Locus Award finalist, and Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas are a Best Editor Locus Award finalist!
We are so honored!
A huge congratulations to all of the phenomenal finalists!
From the Locus website:
The Locus Science Fiction Foundation has announced the top ten finalists in each category of the 2022 Locus Awards. These results are from the February 1 to April 15 voting, done by readers on an open public ballot. Congratulations to all!
The Locus Awards winners will be announced June 25, 2022, during the virtual Locus Awards Weekend. Connie Willis will MC the awards ceremony. Additional weekend events include author readings, panels with leading authors, and all memberships come with a 2022 Locus Awards t-shirt. Buy your ticket today!
Amazing news, Space Unicorns! Two Uncanny Magazine stories, a poem, and two essays are 2022 Ignyte Award finalists! “Colors of the Immortal Palette” by Caroline M. Yoachim is a finalist for a Best Novelette Ignyte Award, “If the Martians Have Magic” by P. Djèlí Clark is a finalist for a Best Short Story Ignyte Award, “POST MASSACRE PSYCHE EVALUATION” by Abu Bakr Sadiq is a finalist for a Best in Speculative Poetry Ignyte Award, “The Necessity of Slavery Stories” by Troy L. Wiggins is a finalist for a Best in Creative Nonfiction Ignyte Award, and “What You Might Have Missed” by Arley Sorg is a finalist for a Best in Creative Nonfiction Ignyte Award! Congratulations to everyone!!!
Plus, congratulations to Uncanny Magazine Assistant Editor Monte Lin! Monte’s essay “Where Will You Place us When We Are Dead?” is a finalist for a Best in Creative Nonfiction Ignyte Award!
It is a fabulous ballot! Congratulations to all of the finalists!
From the Ignyte Award website:
The short list is derived from 15 BIPOC+ voters made up of FIYAHCON Staff and previous award winners, of varying genders, sexualities, cultures, disabilities, and locations throughout the world. They are referred to as the Ignyte Awards Committee. The Committee was not limited to selections authored or otherwise created by BIPOC. Public voting on the shortlist does not permit write-in nominations. Each year, we ask winners to be part of the subsequent year’s committee to ensure fresh perspectives and to help prevent repeated nominations of the same popular authors as recognized in many other genre awards.
This year’s ceremony will be live broadcast on September 17th and will be hosted by Brent Lambert.
This from the Chicon Worldcon Twitter:
“Online voting is now open for the 2022 Hugo Awards, the Lodestar Award for best Young Adult Book, and the Astounding Award for Best New Writer! Chicon 8 members, please check your inboxes for how to access the online voter’s packet and for instructions on how to vote. All ballots must be received by 11 August 2022, 11:59 pm PDT (UTC-7). Any questions about this process can be sent to [email protected]. Happy voting!”
As you may remember, SIX Uncanny Magazine stories are finalists for the prestigious Hugo Award! “Colors of the Immortal Palette” by Caroline M. Yoachim is a finalist for Best Novelette, “That Story Isn’t the Story ” by John Wiswell is a finalist for Best Novelette, “Unseelie Brothers, Ltd.” by Fran Wilde is a finalist for Best Novelette, “The Sin of America” by Catherynne M. Valente is a finalist for Best Short Story, “Proof by Induction” by José Pablo Iriarte is a finalist for Best Short Story, and “Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather” by Sarah Pinsker is a finalist for Best Short Story! Plus, Uncanny Magazine (Publishers/Editors-in-Chief Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas, Poetry/Managing Editor Chimedum Ohaegbu, Nonfiction Editor Elsa Sjunneson, and Podcast Producers Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky) is a finalist for Best Semiprozine!
You can find eBooks of all six stories and a special 2021 Highlights edition of Uncanny Magazine in the Hugo Award Packet!
Along with that news, The Uncanny Thomases are planning on attending Chicon 8: The 80th World Science Fiction Convention from September 1-5, 2022! Lynne will be on programming, and many other Uncanny staff members and authors will be there! Please feel free to come up and say hi!
And now the contents of Uncanny Magazine Issue 47! The phenomenal cover is The Wizard of Light by Kirbi Fagan. Our new fiction includes Marie Brennan’s mythic road trip “Fate, Hope, Friendship, Foe,” AnaMaria Curtis’s tale of food and magic “Family Cooking,” Juliet Kemp’s exploration of space and grief “At the Lighthouse Out by the Othersea,” K.S. Walker’s brief look at magic, parenthood, and destiny “Blessed Are the Healers,” John Chu’s story of superpowers, weightlifting, and love “If You Find Yourself Speaking to God, Address God with the Informal You,” Radha Kai Zan’s tale of sacrifice, power, and belief “To Hunger, As with Perfect Faith,” and Jordan Taylor’s exploration of magic and identity “Bramblewilde.”
Our reprint is “The Hurt Pattern” by Tochi Onyebuchi, which originally appeared in Made to Order: Robots and Revolution in 2020.
Our provocative and compelling essays this month include “Finding My Way Back to Solitary Fandom” by Keidra Chaney, “Wonderful Things I’ve Seen in Science Fiction Fandom” by Gay Haldeman, “In Defense of the To Be Read Pile” by Jim C. Hines, and “She Is Sword, and She Is Sorcery: Womanhood in The Witcher and The Wheel of Time” by Jeannette Ng. Our gorgeous and evocative poetry includes “Quiet and Fragile Try on the Same Romper” by Brandon O’Brien, “Tuesday, Late Commute” by Sarah Grey, “Sibylline” by Sonya Taaffe, and “Mirrors” by Millie Ho. Finally, Caroline M. Yoachim interviews AnaMaria Curtis and Jordan Taylor about their stories.
The Uncanny Magazine Podcast Episode 47A features “Fate, Hope, Friendship, Foe” by Marie Brennan, as read by Erika Ensign, “Tuesday, Late Commute” by Sarah Grey, as read by Matt Peters, and Lynne M. Thomas interviewing Marie Brennan. The Uncanny Magazine Podcast Episode 47B features “If You Find Yourself Speaking to God, Address God with the Informal You” by John Chu, as read by Matt Peters, “Mirrors” by Millie Ho, as read by Erika Ensign, and Lynne M. Thomas interviewing John Chu.
As always, we are deeply grateful for your support of Uncanny Magazine. Shine on, Space Unicorns!
© 2022 Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas
