Wendy N. Wagner

As a horror reader (okay: horror lifestyle enthusiast), I feel like horror is always in season, but some flavors are more tastier at different times of the year.

Summer? It’s for slashers and serial killers.

Fall? Ghosts.

Winter? Supernatural monsters.

But spring is for Lovecraft.

There’s nothing like sitting on your couch while it’s drizzling outside, the flowers starting to bud, the birds chirping cheerfully, and reading about some loathsome New England horror, preferably with tentacles. I’ve done most of my Lovecraftian reading and writing in the spring, too–it just feels right!

If you’re looking for a good spring read, I hear that the anthology Autumn Cthulhu—which includes my short story “The Black Azalea”–has started going out to Kickstarter backers. “The Black Azalea” is one of my favorite pieces, so I can’t wait for people to start reading it. And while it’s set in October, I feel it’s a delightful spring read.

I hope you’re all reading good things, creepy or not!

Every year the James Tiptree, Jr Award announces its winners, its honor books, and its long list of recommended reading. While the Tiptree award isn’t as famous as, say, the Hugo, it’s been my dream to make the long list–it’s always a great collection of literature digging into what makes gender tick.

Needless to say, I’m delighted to see last year’s editorial project, Nightmare‘s Queers Destroy Horror! special issue, get a shout-out. I’m so proud of all the writers, staff, and volunteers who worked so hard to put the book together!

If you live in Hungary and you love Lovecraft, there’s a new magazine to check out—Azilum. It’s an actual paper magazine, edited by Gábor Somogyi, and while I have no idea if it’s a good read (Hungarian was definitely not a foreign language offering at my high school!), I’m pretty excited to have my story “Curvature of the Witch House” reprinted in their inaugural issue.

If you’re not in Hungary, you can still read “Curvature” in the archives of Innsmouth Magazine.

While I’ve had work translated before, this is my first foreign Lovecraftian reprint, so I’m one happy nerd!

Wow, is it really award season again? Last year’s award season was chaos and pandemonium, but I have high hopes that this year, the science fiction and fantasy community will have a friendly discussion about their favorite genre. If you had a membership to WorldCon last year or have a membership this year, you can nominate work. Awards can make a huge difference in a writer’s career, so get out there and nominate the pieces you love! For more information, visit the MidAmericon’s Hugo award site.

I had a lot of short fiction come out this year, but most of it was horror, so it’s not a great fit for the Hugo awards. Of course, I did work my butt off in the editorial world, and one awesome fan site recommended me as a nominee for Best Short Form Editor (Thanks so much, Nerds of a Feather!). I guess I am eligible!

Seriously, the editorial categories of the Hugo awards often get very few nominations or votes, but editors do a lot of heavy lifting in this field. If you love a magazine’s work, give their editor a shout-out when you make your nominations! And if you like a book, you can often find its editor listed in the acknowledgments at the back of the book. I’d love to see short form editors like John Joseph Adams, C. C. Finlay, and Scott Andrews get recognized this year, and I adore the work of long form editors like Liz Gorinsky, Nick Mamatas, and Paizo’s own James Sutter.

Let’s make the Hugo Awards a celebration this year. It’s not really about who wins–it’s about how much we love SFF!

Look at Jendara, leaping straight into danger!

Here’s the cover text as it appears on the Paizo website:

The Stars Are Wrong

Once a notorious pirate, Jendara has at last returned to the cold northern isles of her birth, ready to settle down and raise her young son. Yet when a mysterious tsunami wracks her island’s shore, she and her fearless crew must sail out to explore the strange island that’s risen from the sea floor. No sooner have they delved into the lost island’s alien structures than they find themselves competing with a monstrous cult eager to complete a dark ritual in those dripping halls. For something beyond all mortal comprehension has been dreaming on the sea floor. And it’s begun to wake up…

The book is due out in August.

The wonderful cover painting (which wraps around the cover—it’s really terrific!) is by Jesper Ejsing.

Here’s a bigger look at that great monster:

December.

The sun sets before you get to leave work. The line at the coffee shop is at its seasonal high. The grocery store is always packed. You might get a few extra days off from work, but you’ll probably spend most of them driving in slow-and-go traffic and icy, windy, or just plain miserable conditions. And I won’t even start on the family gatherings. No matter how much you love your kith and kin, there’s bound to be an awkward moment just waiting for you.

You deserve a winter pick-me-up!

And while I’d love to give everyone in the world a big glass of holiday egg nog (or my delicious vegan nog), I only have so many glasses. So instead I’m giving away two copies of the audiobook of Skinwalkers! It’s just the thing to put on when you’re headed over the river and through the woods, or when you’re hitting the gym after too many cookies.

In fact, I’d go so far as to claim that Skinwalkers is the perfect holiday read. Reading about peril, mystery, and the threat of being eaten alive really helps put your own problems in perspective. Being forced to listen to twenty hours of Wham’s “Last Christmas” isn’t nearly as painful as being crushed by an ogre! And if you think your family has problems, wait until you hear about Jendara’s. Still, it’s that bond of love that matters in the end—and nothing warms the heart like a family coming together to fight all odds.

Plus, it’s, well, free.

Just drop me an email at wendy @ winniewoohoo.com with the subject line “Free audiobook” before midnight on Thursday, 12/17—that’s right, you can do it while you’re waiting for the premiere of The Force Awakens to start! I’ll draw two winners at random on Friday morning and let them know via email.

Is it really Orycon all ready??

For me, nothing signals the start of the holiday like our annual SF/F convention here in Portland–Orycon! I usually pick up a few holiday gifts in the dealer’s room or at the art show, and getting to reconnect with all my favorite writers (I almost typed co-workers–they kind of are!) from around Washington and Oregon just feels special.

This year, I’ll be on a few panels on Saturday and I’ve got a reading on Sunday. It’s at 11:30, so you have just enough time to get brunch, pop in for taster from my most recent short story (it has ghosts!), and then catch the last few hours of the con.

Of course the highlight for any book lover is always the post-Orycon author event: Authorfest 9! Make sure to stop by Powell’s Cedar Hills location at 4 pm on Sunday. There will be more than two dozen local writers ready to sign books and shoot the breeze. Rumor has it that a contingent from the Cloud City Garrison of the 501st Imperial Legion will be there, too. How often do you get to take your picture with a storm trooper?

If you love the Cthulhu Mythos as much as I do (or hey, even one-third as much as I do–that’s still a lot!), you should be sure to make it to Powell’s Books on Hawthorne on November 12th at 7:30 pm. That’s right, in a little over a week, I’ll be reading from Cthulhu Fhtagn!, along with some of the other terrific writers in the anthology.

For all the details, visit the event site. It’s going to be a blast!

Terrific news, audiophiles! Fifteen of the Pathfinder adventure novels have been released today as audiobooks, including my all-axes-on-deck novel, Skinwalkers. So if you need something to make your commute a little more exciting, we’ve gotcha covered.

You can check it out here on Audible.

It’s that time of year again, folks–the time when the Deep Ones come out of the sea to gather at the Hollywood Theater and celebrate their maker. H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an amazing line-up of films, gaming, and author events, and I’m glad to be a part of it this year. For the full schedule of the event, click here.

If you’d like to catch me while I’m at the festival, here’s my schedule:

Friday

4-6 pm – Meet & Greet at Sam’s Billiards. Come hang out!

8 pm – Lovecraft on the Tabletop. We’ll talk about Lovecraftian board games and RPGs. What’s not to love?

Saturday

10 -noon – Carbload for Cthulhu. I’ll be selling copies of Skinwalkers and signing anything you put in front of me. With donuts!

8 pm – Reading with Andrew Fuller and Molly Tanzer. They’re two of my best friends in this business!

Other than that, I hope to be hanging out, watching great movies and letting the Gospel of HPL wash over my soul. I hope to see you there!

PS: I thought I’d share a picture of me from a few years ago. It looks like somebody got a photo when I wasn’t wearing my makeup!

Wendy N. Wagner

Nothing says “spring” like Lovecraft

Queers Destroy Horror! makes Tiptree Long List

Going international!

Hugo Nominations have opened!

STARSPAWN has a cover!

You need a winter pick-me-up!

Northwesterners: It’s Orycon this weekend!

The Stars Are Right … for a reading!

SKINWALKERS now available as an audiobook!

Get your tentacles on! Here’s my schedule at HPLFF