My novel Plague Birds to be published by Apex Books!

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Art by Hugo Award winning artist Jim Burns for the second Plague Birds story "The Ever-Dreaming Verdict of Plagues." See below for more artistic interpretations of my Plague Birds universe.

Good news for fans of my Plague Birds stories: The novel has been accepted by Apex Books and is tentatively scheduled for release in the summer of 2021.

Many thanks to Jason Sizemore and Apex Books for accepting it! In addition, many thanks to all my Patrons for supporting my writing.

Plague Birds is set in the far future and is the epic tale of a young woman betrayed into becoming one of her world’s hated judges and executioners, with a killer AI bonded to her very blood. While the novel is science fiction, it reads much like fantasy and is weird and dark.

For those who haven't read these stories, the first one — "Plague Birds" — was published in the acclaimed British magazine Interzone, where it won the magazine's annual Readers' Poll. The story was subsequently translated into a number of languages (including Czech and Chinese) and was the subject of a well-received podcast on Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine.

The following year I wrote a sequel called "The Ever-Dreaming Verdict of Plagues," which was also published in Interzone. Translations of this story were published around the world while its podcast edition was named a finalist for the 2012 Parsec Awards. "The Ever-Dreaming Verdict of Plagues" is not part of the novel and functions as a stand-alone tale in the universe. I’m considering releasing this story on its own once Plague Birds comes out.

Above and below are illustrations by different artists of the Plague Birds characters. Note there’s a lot of artistic license here because the characters, for example, don't wear skin-tight leather clothes or look like vampires.

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The original publication of the first "Plague Birds" story in Interzone. Cool art by Ben Baldwin, although there are artistic liberties. (Meaning no red leather skin-tight suits in my story or novel. Sorry.)

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Artwork from the Chinese edition of the original Plague Birds short story. And no, the main character doesn't let her shirt fly up like that in the original story or the novel. Definitely artistic liberties at work again.

My 2020 award eligibility post

It’s the season for authors to post award-eligibility post so here’s mine. If you’re considering works for the Hugo, Nebula or World Fantasy Awards, my short story "The Eight-Thousanders" is eligible. The story was published in the Sept./Oct. 2020 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction and focuses on the ethical issues surrounding mountain climbing and the destructive tech bro attitudes found within elite industries.

Or tl;dr: VAMPIRE ON MOUNT EVEREST!

Copies of that issue of Asimov’s are no longer available, but the story was reprinted in Apex Magazine and can be read online.

If you prefer to read the story in a different format you can request a free digital copy of "The Eight-Thousanders" from me at this link. When you complete that short form you’ll be given the option to request the story as a Kindle, Epub, Word, or PDF file.

So far the story is receiving excellent reviews, with SFRevu calling it “Hugo worthy” and Sam J. Miller calling it “a chilling, exciting story of climbing Mount Everest, and the internal demons that drive you to do so, and the external ones that might confront you when you do.”

If you want to read more about the story, the Asimov’s blog did an interview with me about it including the story’s origins and my thoughts on issues such as masculinity.

Review of The Four Profound Weaves by R. B. Lemberg

It’s been a rough year. For far too many people in the world, it’s been a rough few decades capped by an even worse year. And when we say 2020 is painful what we’re really saying is that not only are we hurting, we’re being actively harmed in a time of crisis by those with power.

I’ve been reading as many stories as I can this year as a form of something I can’t even describe. As escape? Therapy? A search for wholeness or meaning? So many great stories have been published in 2020, almost as if life understands that fictional creations — that fantasies and myths and dreams — are a powerful way to not only to heal each other but the very world itself.

And the stories I’ve read have helped. Some. A bit. Because I’m still making it through. Still alive.

Now I’ve read The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg. And when I finished this novella I cried because it was so joyful and beautiful and moving that for the first time in a long while I caught a glimpse of the path forward.

The Four Profound Weaves is set in the Birdverse, a diverse world of feathered gods and mysterious deserts and magical names which bind people together and tear them apart. The story follows the lives of two people — Uiziya e Lali and an initially nameless man — who are in their sixties and trying to change their lives. But they’re up against a world which far too often believes change is a bad thing. That life should remain static and unyielding. That who others believe we are at one single moment of our life is who we must be for all our lives.

This is a lyrical, poetic, mystical journey which features some of the most beautiful writing I’ve encountered recently. In Lemberg’s hands a simple phrase like “The dawn is never far away” gains added depth and resonance to both stir the soul and make you pause your reading to reflect on what has been written. And the story also features two extremely endearing and relatable characters who you can’t help rooting for.

The Four Profound Weaves is queer as hell and fluid as hell and refuses to let anything stand in the way of what we can be, no matter is that means going up against an all-powerful dictator, the gender expectations of our family and friends, or even the world itself.

This is both a joy of a book and a joy of a reading experience. I came away feeling more healed than when I started. I won’t pretend one book can solve all the world’s problems, but The Four Profound Weaves was definitely the book I needed to read right now in my life. I think many other readers will respond the same way.

I expect I’ll reread The Four Profound Weaves over and over in the years to come. The novella will also be among my nominations for the upcoming Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards.

There is always a path forward. Unfortunately, many times we can’t see it until something brings our eyes back to where we’re walking.

The Four Profound Weaves illuminates for all of us the path forward.

Giveaway for "The Eight-Thousanders"

My short story "The Eight-Thousanders" is out in the Sept./Oct. 2020 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction. The story focuses on the ethical issues surrounding mountain climbing and the destructive tech bro attitudes found within elite industries.

Or tl;dr: VAMPIRE ON MOUNT EVEREST!

So far the story is receiving excellent reviews, with SFRevu calling it “Hugo worthy” and Sam J. Miller calling it “a chilling, exciting story of climbing Mount Everest, and the internal demons that drive you to do so, and the external ones that might confront you when you do.”

If you want to read more about the story, the Asimov’s blog did an interview with me about it including the story’s origins and my thoughts on masculinity (which, spoiler, is a major plot point of the story).

Copies of the magazine are currently available in bookstores and digital marketplaces.

I’m also giving away 10 signed copies of the Sept./Oct. issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction, plus a few digital copies, as thanks to my readers.

If you want to take part in the drawing for these copies, complete this form.

NASFiC 2020 virtual convention schedule

The North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC) starts Friday, August 21 and runs through Sunday, August 23. Originally slated to be held in Columbus, Ohio, this year’s NASFiC is now totally virtual. And best of all, it’s free for people to attend and take part!

I’ll be taking part in the three sessions below during the convention. For more information and to take part, go to columbus2020nasfic.org.

Office Hours with Jason Sanford
Friday August 21 , 5:00-7:00pm (Eastern Daylight Time)
I will answer questions about getting published, places to get published and so on. This is your chance to ask me any questions about the many topics I cover in my Genre Grapevine column.

The Future of Anthologies
Saturday August 22, 11:00 am (Eastern Daylight Time)
Moderator: Jason Sanford
Panelists: Dominik Parisien, Lucy A. Snyder, and Neil Clarke
Our highly-regarded panel of editors discuss current trends in and future of anthologies.

Weathering the Storm: Creating in Times of Trouble
Saturday August 22 , 8:00pm (Eastern Daylight Time)
Moderator: Jason Sanford
Panelists: Ace Ratcliff, Amanda Makepeace, John Medaille, John Wiswell, Raven Oak
Description: A mixed panel of writers and artists discuss the challenges of making art and stories during a pandemic, as well as strategies for managing health and being active creators.

I look forward to seeing everyone there.