It’s Orycon Time!

Once again it’s time for folks in NW Oregon and SW Washington to come together and celebrate fantasy, science fiction, and horror. It’s going to be another terrific convention!

I’m really looking forward to the big event. I’ve only got a few panels this year, so I can really focus on connecting with other folks and learning new things. My favorite stuff!

Here’s my con schedule:

Friday, 11/8, 3pm: What Are Editors and What the Heck Do They Do?
There are lots of different kinds of editors in the publishing business. Come find out what they do, how they got into publishing, and how to make your work appeal to them.
Panelists: Gibbitt Rhys-Jones, Susan Chang, Wendy N. Wagner

Saturday, Nov 9, 11:15 am: Kaffeeklatche
Have a morning coffee with your favorite writers and artists! Please sign up at the Infodesk.
Writers hanging out: Fonda Lee, Joyce Reynolds-Ward, Wendy N. Wagner

Saturday, Nov 9, 5:30 pm: One Minute Pitch for all ages creators
30 mins of theory, 20 mins of practice. Be prepared to speak your pitch.
Panelists: Lindsay Pierce, Pharoah Bolding, Wendy N. Wagner

Sunday, Nov 10, 10:30 am: Reading
I’ll be reading some new short fiction!

Must-reads for the Environmentally Aware

This past weekend was Orycon, our wonderful local science fiction, fantasy, and horror convention. As usual, I got to attend and present at some terrific panels, hang out with lots of amazing human beings, do some serious Christmas shopping, and go to some fun parties.

One of the highlights of the convention turned out to be the panel “Must-reads for the Environmentally Aware.” I came with a short list of books and short stories I wanted to share, and my fellow panelists–two writers I really admire, Brenda Cooper and Joyce Reynolds-Ward–brought their own extensive lists. I was writing as quickly as I could to collect all the great recommendations!

Panelists talking eco-books

Photo by Curtis Chen.

Needless to say, everyone was eager to get a copy of the final list, so I decided to type it up and share it here. If you’re looking for something terrific to read, give one of these a try.

Short stories

All three of us occasionally write short fiction, and Brenda and I both greatly enjoy reading the stuff. Here are few short stories, collections, and anthologies we couldn’t stop raving about:

“An Incomplete Timeline of What We Tried,” by Debbie Urbanski. Terraform. A fabulous–and crushing–list story that wrestles with climate change. (SF)

“Spring Thaw,” by Charles Payseur. Nightmare Magazine. A former snow plow driver applies his skills on an Antarctic expedition. (SF/horror)

“Hot Rods,” by Cat Sparks. Lightspeed Magazine. Car racing after climate change. (SF)

Reckoning. A magazine/anthology series devoted to environmental justice. All genres.

Damnation Alley, a climate/apocalyptic novella by Roger Zelazny from 1967. Adapted into apparently a not-so-good novel and a not-so-good film.

Dancing in Dreamtime, by Scott Russell Sanders. Best known for his essays, Sanders started as a science fiction writer, and this collection showcases his short work. (SF)

Drowned Worlds, edited by Jonathan Strahan. An anthology of short fiction about water issues after climate change. One standout in this one is “Venice Drowned,” by Kim Stanley Robinson. (SF)

Loosed Upon the WorldLoosed Upon the World, edited by John Joseph Adams. An anthology of climate change fiction with a lot of heavy hitters. (SF)

John Joseph Adams’ anthology series–Wastelands and Wastelands 2–is focused on apocalyptic fiction, but many of those stories contain environmental elements. (SF)

I’m With the Bears, edited by Mark Martin. An anthology of climate fiction by literary giants like David Mitchell and Margaret Atwood. (SF)

The Year Without a Winter, edited by Dehlia Hannah. Stories, essays, and art exploring climate change. With a story from Brenda Cooper! (SF + more)

Novels

Environmental themes can make for terrific reading in a novel! We had many suggestions. I wrote down summaries when I could.

The OverstoryThe Overstory, by Richard Powers. If you read only one novel from this list, this should probably be the one. Amazing writing and a terrific melding of literary and speculative techniques. Plus, some of it is set in the Pacific Northwest! (literary)

Arctic Rising, by Tobias Buckell. The first in a series of SF eco-thrillers. (SF)

NK Jemisin’s The Broken Earth series. If you haven’t read it yet, why not? Get yourself to a bookstore or the library and get going!

New York 2140, by Kim Stanley Robinson. What will New York City look like when the oceans rise? Another well-researched novel from KSR; possibly linked to his “Venice Drowned” short story. (SF)

Blackfish Rising, by Sam J. Miller. Political corruption in a floating Arctic city, set after “the climate wars.” (SF)

Who Fears Death, by Nnedi Okorafor. It’s post-apocalyptic and it’s gonna be a tv show. (SF)

Annihilation, by Jeff Vandermeer. The whole Southern Reach trilogy is definitely a must-read for anyone with an interest in the environment–as if Jeff Vandermeer’s Twitter stream! (SF)

Good News, by Edward Abbey. Did you know Edward Abbey wrote a science fiction novel? Neither did I!

Water Rites, by Mary Rosenblum. An Oregon SF writer writing about water scarcity in the west. (SF)

The Water Knife, by Paolo Bacigalupi. (SF)

The Queen of the Tearling, by Erika Johansen. The first in a YA fantasy series that seems purely fantastical … at first. (YA, fantasy with SF elements)

Flight Behavior, by Barbara Kingsolver. (literary)

Stand on Zanzibar, by John Brunner. Climate fiction from the 1960s. (SF)

The Drowned World, by JG Ballard. The world floods in this climate classic from 1962. (SF)

Time of the Great Freeze, by Robert Silverberg. What if the Earth froze? Disaster novel from 1964.

Nonfiction

Dark MoneyDark Money, by Jane Mayer. If you read one piece of nonfiction, this one might be the most important. How did oil money conquer democracy?

Half-Earth, by E.O. Wilson. What if we set aside half the planet for non-human beings? — FEEL GOOD

Going Green: True Tales from Gleaners, Scavengers, and Dumpster Divers, edited by Laura Pritchett. Essays for the thrifty green.

Young Men and Fire, by Norman McClean. Wildfire is the new normal in the west–here’s a book that digs into one big bad fire and the people who fought it.

The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible, by Charles Eisenstein. What can we do to help the Earth? The whole book is available to read online. — FEEL GOOD

Saving Tarboo Creek, by Scott Freeman. The story of one family’s part in restoring a NW salmon stream. — FEEL GOOD

The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben.  Dudes. Trees are waaaay cooler than you ever thought. Read this book. Then go hug your arboreal friends. — FEEL GOOD

The Soil Will Save Us, by Kristin Ohlson. The subtitle says it all: “How scientists, farmers, and foodies are healing the soil to save the planet.” — FEEL GOOD

The Devil’s Highway, by Luis Alberto UrreaAn analysis of what crossing the US-Mexico border really means.

The God Species, by Mark Lynas. How do we save the planet … from ourselves?

The Sixth Extinction, by Elizabeth Kolbert. How humanity became the biggest driver of biodiversity loss since the Chicxulub asteroid.

Holdfast: At Home in the Natural World, by Kathleen Dean Moore. Essays by a fine naturalist and philosopher.

The Pine Island Paradox, by Kathleen Dean Moore. How nature and the human spirit are blended.

Feral, by George Monbiot. In some places, rewilding efforts are making amazing strides in improving plant and animal diversity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orycon Weekend!

It’s time to gear up for the most fun weekend of the year! That’s right: Orycon weekend!

Orycon is Portland’s local science fiction convention, featuring lots of fantastic literary, gaming, art, and filking activities. This year it’s at the Red Lion Hotel in Jantzen Beach, and it’s sure to be a good time.

I’ll be at the convention, of course. If you’d like to run into me, make sure to make it to one of my events.

Friday, 11/17

6:00 – 6:30 pm
Wendy N. Wagner reading
Come for the chocolate, stay for the weird!

Saturday, 11/18

11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Interactive Writing Workshop
Sarina Dorie, Wendy N. Wagner, Sharon Joss
How do you prepare to write and sell a short story for a market? Come prepared to write!

2:00 – 3:00 pm
Autograph Session
Bring your books and get ’em signed!
Irene Radford, Bruce Taylor/Mr. Magic Realism, Wendy N. Wagner, Timothy Zahn

4:00 – 5:00 pm
Cannibalism!
Wendy N. Wagner, John M Lovett, Joyce Reynolds-Ward, Pat MacEwen
From Sawney Bean and Sweeney Todd to The Hills Have Eyes and Hannibal, we explore the role of cannibalism in horror literature and film and its historical/anthropological roots.

10:00 pm – midnight
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Brian Hunt, Manny Frishberg, Ethan Siegel, David D. Levine, Randy Henderson, Wendy N. Wagner
A fanish version of the popular improv gameshow.

And although it’s not actually at the con, be sure not to miss the terrific post-Orycon event on Sunday, 11/19!
SF/F Authorfest 11
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills
Meet all your favorite NW writers in one terrific location.

 

August/September Author Events!

After spending most of August relaxing, I’m back to promoting An Oath of Dogs. If you live in the Pacific Northwest and want to hang out, be sure to check out one of these fun events:

8/31 (Thursday), 7pm
Wendy N. Wagner and Spencer Ellsworth: Reading & Word Nerd Gameshow!
Barnes & Noble
Eugene, Oregon

9/1 (Friday),  7 pm
Wendy N. Wagner and Spencer Ellsworth: Reading & Word Nerd Gameshow!
The Book Bin
Salem, Oregon

9/9 (Saturday), 3 pm
Build-a-World Workshop: Join a panel of SF/F writers and learn how to take your crazy ideas and turn them into fully functional fictional worlds.
Rose City Comic Con
Portland, OR

I can’t wait to hang out with Spencer and to share our  crazy books with all of you!

 

Norwescon!

Every year on Easter weekend, science fiction and fantasy fans gather in the Seattle area to celebrate everything fun about SFF. This will be my first trip to Norwescon, and I’m really looking forward to it. It looks to be a busy con, as I’ve got lots of panels and a reading on Saturday (where you can hear a little snippet of An Oath of Dogs).

Here’s my schedule:

Friday

Worldbuilding: Coin of the Realm
1:00pm – 2:00pm @ Poolside1
Laura Anne Gilman (M), Nancy Kress, Renee Stern, Wendy N. Wagner
Art and Craft Open Time (Kids programming)
2:30pm – 3:30pm @ Olympic 1
Wendy N. Wagner, Adia, Raven J. Demers
Koffee Klatsch: Wendy N. Wagner
5:00pm – 6:00pm @ Pro Suite
Wendy N. Wagner (M)
Dress-up RPG/Intro to RPG (Kids Programming)
6pm -7 pm @ Olympic 1
(I’ll be helping talented author and storytime expert Dale Ivan Smith, so this should be really fun for your little ones!)
Grounded Sci-Fi
9:00pm – 10:00pm @ Poolside0
Liz Argall (M), Crystal Connor, Wendy N. Wagner, Marc Gascoigne

Saturday

Why Editors Pass
11:00am – 12:00pm @ Evergreen 3&4
Wendy N. Wagner (M), Gordon Van Gelder, Marc Gascoigne, Patrick Swenson, Shannon Page
Reading:  Wendy N. Wagner
12:30pm – 1:00pm @ Cascade 2
Wendy N. Wagner (M)
Autograph Session 1
2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Grand 2
Ethan Siegel, Ian McDonald, Catska Ench, Cory Ench, Nancy Kress, Marc Gascoigne, Mike Underwood, Carol Berg, Alex Irvine, Annie Bellet, Caroline M. Yoachim, Curtis C. Chen, Dean Wells, Greg Bear, Jack Skillingstead, James C. Glass, Jeff Sturgeon, John Cramer, Kat Richardson, Lee Moyer, Nathan Crowder, Nisi Shawl, Peter Orullian, Randy Henderson, Scott James Magner, Todd Lockwood, Tori Centanni, Wendy N. Wagner, PJ Manney, Julie McGalliard, Crystal Connor, David D. Levine
First Page Idol
5:00pm – 6:00pm @ Cascade 9
Curtis C. Chen (M), Wendy N. Wagner, Patrick Swenson, Mark Teppo
If you’ll be at Norwescon, stop by and say hi!

First trip to Emerald City Comicon!

I’m pretty stoked! Emerald City Comicon is coming up next month, and I get to be on two panels!! [Two panels = two exclamation points.]

I’d never been to a comicon before Rose City Comicon last September, which was a fun/overwhelming/exhausting experience. I got worn out just walking around in the crowds. Emerald City is much bigger, so I’m glad I got to practice at RCCC.
ECCCIf you’ll be at the con on Thursday (3/2) and find yourself looking for some fun panels, be sure to stop by:

Build-a-World Workshop
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
WSCC 603

Inconceivable!: A Game of Nerdery and Nonsense
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (in the program as 3:45, but we moved it back 15 minutes)
WSCC 617

Off to HP Lovecraft FilmFest!

I’ll be spending the next few days at the ever-fantastic HP Lovecraft Film Festival. It’s always a fun time, and there are tons of great movies and panels I can’t wait to catch.

If you want to catch up with me, here’s my schedule:

Friday, 4-6 pm
Meet-n-Greet at Sam’s Billiards.

Saturday, 10 am
Carbload for Cthulhu Mass Signing (at the EOD)

Saturday, 10pm
Weird Tales: Beyond HP (at the EOD)

Sunday, 8pm
Teaching History Through Games (at the EOD)

Sunday, 9:30 pm
Reading with Andrew S. Fuller and Adam Scott Glancy (at the EOD)

It ought to be tentacular!

Orycon and SF Authorfest!

Orycon is my local sf/f convention, and I love it. I always have a great time! This year looks like it’s going to be just as fun as ever, and I’ve got a pretty packed schedule. If you’re going to be at the convention, I hope I get a chance to say  hi!

Here’s my schedule:

Friday, November 7th

  • 12:30 pm — Wendy N. Wagner reading — Grant 
  • 4:00 pm — Spaceships, Colonists, and Castaways — Madison
  • 5:00 pm — Loving Your Villain — Roosevelt
  • 8:00 pm — The Games Are Afoot: Sherlock vs Elementary Throwdown — Hamilton

Saturday, November 8th

  • 1:00 pm — Freaking Me Out, Not Grossing Me Out — Idaho
  • [helping with the Writers Workshop during the afternoon]
  • 7:00 pm — Writing & Art for the RPG Industry — Morrison
  • 8:00 pm — SHATTERED SHIELDS anthology launch — Orycon Suite 1570

Sunday, November 9th

  • 11:00 am — Writing in Other People’s Worlds — Morrison
  • 1:00 pm — Women Role Models in SF — Hawthorne

and …

Sunday, November 9th — 4:00 pm — Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing

SF AUTHORFEST

Over two dozen NW sf/f writers and visiting members of the Cloud City Garrison!

I’m really looking forward to meeting lots of great people and getting my geek on!

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