About a year ago, I hosted a LitCrawl reading where the theme (not my idea) was “how would history have played out differently if one specific written document was changed?” I decided to warm up the show with an intro that veered off the rails into the concept, and ended up with an obsessively researched rant about the legendary Star Trek episode, The City on the Edge of Forever, which my husband described to me as “the most deranged thing you’ve ever written.” I never in a million years thought it would or could end up in print, but immediately after hearing it in the audience, Josh Wilson told me to submit it to his magazine. I still question his decision, but here we are a year later and now you can read The Screenplay on the Edge of Forever in the latest issue of The Fabulist, which has recently become a gorgeous and strange little print magazine. I highly recommend subscribing.

Saturday, September 12: Babylon Salon
I’ll be reading with Vanessa Hua, June Martin, Shoshana von Blanckensee and Beth Winegarner at the long-running series, this Saturday at The Sycamore in San Francisco. Details here.

Tomorrow (July 30th) is my fifth and final reading for the month of July, and my third time ever reading at Literary Speakeasy. Martuni’s (4 Valencia St.) is a lovely, vibey, storied San Francisco venue that makes me want to smoke in the rain, flirt with a lounge singer, brush up on my French, maybe join an underground resistance cell. It’ll be a nice little break in the week, so come hang if you’re in the Bay. Doors at 6:30, show at 7.

In other news:

Crap, it’s the Fourth of July, do I have to write about that?! Hell no, it’s still a free country…for everyone who hasn’t (checks news) moved a box of zines.…Ok then, let’s skip straight to dinosaurs.

“Jurassic Perk” is published and free to read!

I’m so psyched to finally share this short story with you. It’s about the baristas on the office park side of a dinosaur theme park island, and also how companies treat people when they think they can get away with it. Loosely inspired by a job I had in college downstairs from LucasArts on the ILM campus. It was on submission for TWO YEARS and in the queue at Kaleidotrope after acceptance for another TWO YEARS so I have been waiting about SIXTY-FIVE MILLION YEARS for this moment and it’s finally here! Read “Jurassic Perk” now on Kaleidotrope.

Hi from Chicago! It’s my first time here, and also my first time attending the Nebula conference in person. I’m spending a few extra days with friends, and loving all the little neighborhoods, the lake, the Field Museum, the cardinals, the summer rain, the street bunnies hopping around after dark, and the fireflies (!!!!) that came out just on one block last night at twilight. It’s been a much-needed break from my very busy book launch schedule, before the next wave of events in July.

I’m still processing the fact that The Wildcraft Drones finally exists in the real world as an actual book, and people are reading it. Charlie Jane Anders loved it. It’s all so much. Luckily/overwhelmingly, there’s plenty of distractions, like…

Announcing my second book: The Cursed Blade of Wek

It’s May and that means it’s finally here: The Wildcraft Drones is officially on shelves THIS MONTH. Of course, publication is nonlinear, pre-orders have already started shipping, and I’ll be signing books on the 17th at SF in SF as well as the official launch party on the 21st, and a slew of events after. In fact, I’m going to do my future self a favor and list them all now, so I don’t have to remember to do a newsletter in June. You’re welcome, future self.

May 17
SF in SF
3–5pm at San Francisco Public Library Main Branch
100 Larkin Street, 3rd Floor, Hormel LGBTQIA Center San Francisco

May 21
The Wildcraft Drones launch party
4-7pm at Cafe Suspiro
1246 Folsom Street, San Francisco

May 26
The Racket
7pm at The Sycamore
2140 Mission St, San Francisco

“Like a Skeleton in Desert Sand”

My latest short story, “Like a Skeleton in Desert Sand,” is now free to read in Tractor Beam’s fifth issue: Underground. I love the way their team puts so much craft into the presentation of each story, hiring talented human artists and designers to build a beautiful experience for each story. If you don’t check out the issue for me, do it for Shingai Kagunda’s story, “Mycelium Memory Makes a Monster.”

Reviews for The Wildcraft Drones are coming in