Wendy N. Wagner

The first of February is always exciting for those of us working in science fiction, horror, and fantasy — it’s the day the Locus Recommended Reading List drops! It’s always a veritable compendium of delights, and I try to devour as many of the horror novels on the list as possible.

Today I was delighted to see that a story I edited — “The Sound of Children Screaming,” by Rachael K. Jones, made the list. But I was EVEN MORE EXCITED to see that my story “An Infestation of Blue” was on there, too!

“An Infestation of Blue” appeared in the Nov/Dec issue of Analog, which they have kindly made available to read for free on their site.

This story was inspired by my wonderful dog Beansy, and everything I’ve learned about dogs and their neurology/psychology. I am so grateful for her and all the joy she brings me every single day!

A brown dog stares up at the camera with enormous, kind eyes while resting their chin on their bone.

It’s hard to believe, but my story “Halogen Sky” has been nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award for Best Short Fiction! It’s up against some amazing work, including a story I edited at Nightmare Magazine (“Dick Pig,” by the incredibly talented Ian Muneshwar). The Shirley Jackson Awards recognize fantasy and horror operating in the realm of the weird — my very favorite kind of fiction! — so I COULD NOT be happier about this nomination. I am also stunned, grateful, and overwhelmed!

I can’t believe it!! The Secret Skin has made the 2021 Locus Recommended List! It feels like some kind of miracle.

I am also super excited that Nightmare had four stories make the list and Lightspeed seven. It feels so good to see the authors I work with get some recognition.

To see the full list, check it out here.

I might be in this business for the joy of writing, but it sure is nice to see my work getting shout-outs like this:

Sadie Hartmann reviews books all over the place, including the celebrated horror magazine, Cemetery Dance. Not only did she give The Secret Skin a stellar review over at the magazine, she put it on her list of favorite 2021 horror releases.

But that wasn’t the only Best Books of 2021 The Secret Skin made! Back in November, The Washington Post compiled their list of the year’s best SF/F/H novels and The Secret Skin made the cut! That post is behind a paywall, but you can check out the full list on Locus.

I can’t tell you how terrific it is to hear that readers I really admire have enjoyed this novella! I hope it continues to connect to people, because this little book means an awful lot to me.

Wendy N. Wagner

Category Archives: acclaim

Locus Recommended Reading List!

Shirley Jackson awards

LOCUS. RECOMMENDED. LIST.

Acclaim for THE SECRET SKIN!