So … background. Last year was a rough year for women working in the science fiction and fantasy genres. The first half of the year, the publication of genre’s primary professional organization–the SFWA Bulletin–had a number of issues that were offensive due of their sexist artwork or articles. Here’s a great summary. Blogs discussed the depressing facts that women’s fiction doesn’t get as many reviews as men’s, and best-of lists included hardly any women’s work (this post by Ian Sales summarizes this stuff nicely). Then the relaunched Amazing Stories published a personal essay called “When is Science Fiction Not Science Fiction“–where the author, Paul Cook, complained that Lois McMaster Bujold’s work (which is crammed full of space travel and other elements we’d usually see in a science fiction adventure) wasn’t actually science fiction. Cook said he could tell it wasn’t really SF,  because “Bujold tips her hand in the eloquence of her language (normally a good thing) and the attention to detail that only women would find attractive:  balls, courts, military dress, palace intrigues, gossiping, and whispering in the corridors.”

People got mad, and for good reason. (After all, everyone loves Dune, and it’s full of gossip and intrigue. Nobody says it’s not science fiction!)  And somebody decided to do something about it: Christie Yant.

Christie’s working to put together a special double issue of Lightspeed Magazine that will be entirely written, edited, and produced by women. That’s right: all the money and all the time (and the reviews! Don’t forget the reviews!) that would normally be equally divided between men and women (Lightspeed does a great job of publishing balanced genders), will be showered, instead, on women. Actually, TWICE as much time and money will go to them. And why? Because women could use a little more attention in science fiction, and this might help make up for it. Plus, it’s also a cool celebration of women in the industry that will hopefully get them fired up to go write even more awesome fiction. I wouldn’t mind seeing women win every award in the business this year, just to give 2013 a big kick in the ass.

Interested in the project? Go check out Lightspeed’s Kickstarter campaign! It takes a little extra money to publish all that extra fiction, so give them a hand. All donors get an ebook copy of the special issue, which you don’t want to miss out on.

And why am I so interested in all of this, besides the fact that I’m a woman? Well, these days I’m Lightspeed’s Managing/Associate Editor, and I’ve been reading slush and collecting personal essays for this project–so I actually know how cool it’s going to be.

At least once a year we make the long drive up to visit my parents, who live in the vicinity of Grand Coulee, Washington. We don’t always take the same roads, but over the years, we’ve fallen into a much-loved routine: on the way up, we have to stop at Macario’s Restaurant in Boardman. I don’t know if it’s the most terrific Mexican food–it’s fairly standard beans and cheesy goodness–but we love it there and the trip just wouldn’t feel complete without a stop.

Isn’t it funny how we get into these routines? Little things, little funny rituals take on significance when repeated, and life feels hollow without them. Whether it’s a certain bedtime routine (I struggle to fall asleep if I didn’t floss) or a family holiday tradition, repeated actions sometimes transcend the ordinary and take on extraordinary meaning.

When I was studying early music history, we spent a great deal of time examining the use of music in monastic tradition. In medieval monasteries, the inhabitants lives were very strictly ordered by the canonical hours. They kept to a very strict, very deliberate routine. You can visit monasteries run by these same precepts, and I know several people who have done so. According to one such visitor, after a period of adjustment, your mind responds to the strange rhythms. It becomes dreamier, more mystical, more introspective, even hallucinatory.

Most of us look forward to a change in our routine to help us find introspection and clarity, but maybe the monks were onto something. Maybe we just need to stop looking at routine as dull–and instead, celebrate it.

As for me, I’m already missing my regular routine. I’m too excited about this trip to get any work done! But here’s a photo of what I’ve got to look forward to:

Whoo-hoooooo! It’s award season! And since I went to WorldCon this year, I actually GET TO NOMINATE for the Hugos again, even though I can’t make it to Chicon (insert sad face here). I’m still mulling over all the possibilities of what I’ll be nominating, so feel free to send me some recommendations!

As for me personally, I did have a few stories published in 2011:

•  “Cold Iron and Green Vines,” Beneath Ceaseless Skies. (May 2011)
• “A Tiny Grayness in the Dark,” Subversion. Bart R. Lieb, ed. Crossed Genres. (December 2011)
• “Curvature of the Witch House,” Innsmouth Magazine. (Oct 2011)
• “The Last Doll War,” Three-Lobed Burning Eye. (Sept 2011)
• “Solitary Instinct,” Beast Within 2. Jennifer Brozek, ed. Graveside Tales. (July 2011)
• “Blue Locks,” Scape. (October 2011)

I think all of these guys are Hugo-eligible, and “Cold Iron” is Nebula-eligible. “Curvature of the Witch House,” “The Last Doll War,” and “Solitary Instinct” would qualify for the Bram Stoker, as they are all dark or horror-licious.  Oh, and I’m in my last year as a contender for John W. Campbell award!

I’m doing a spot of housecleaning in my virtual realm–it’s time to shake up a new look and get up to date.