 Tell us about the event or Meetup you host or are planning to host.
I moderate a novel workshop at Sam Schreiber's apartment. How did you get involved with BSFW and which events do you attend? When I first moved to Brooklyn, I browsed Meetup hoping to find like-minded writers. I assumed hordes of literati prowled in NYC, all of them active in writing groups, and I was right. But only BSFW focused on speculative fiction, and after attending a few workshops I knew I'd found a perfect fit for me. What have you found most helpful about this writing group? BSFW keeps me engaged with the speculative fiction writing community. I cannot overstate how important that has been for me. It's so easy to retreat into a cocoon of staring at a computer screen yelling at the internet all night. Having so many talented authors with sharp eyes in workshops has left me punch drunk at times, haha, but that kind of workout has been invaluable in helping me improve my writing. Sharing ideas, conversations, and drinks with is great perk as well. What stories have most influenced your writing style? I'm a chronic list maker so this is the most dangerous question for me, but here's a snapshot of the moment: Laird Barron, "Six Six Six" Sofia Samatar, "A Stranger in Olondria" Fritz Leiber, "Lean Times in Lankhmar" John Langan, "Mother of Stone" Terry Lamsley, "The Extension" Kelly Link, "The Specialist's Hat" Okay better stop there I could go on all night and I have a short story tapping its foot waiting to be finished ... How do you find time to write? I set aside blocks of time in the morning or afternoon, but the meatiest ideas often find me in the wee hours of the night, much to my dismay. What are you working on now? A cycle of weird fiction short stories, an urban fantasy novella & a short story collaboration with two other BSFW authors, and a pair of fantasy novels. Publications: Season One, Episodes 5 & 6 of the Kaleidocast: If you could submit a story to your dream anthology what would it be about and who else would be in it? Would love to someday be in an Ellen Datlow edited horror anthology, perhaps with a videogame or tabletop RPG theme.
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 What's your day job?
I'm a story board artist (among a whole lot of other things and is a little on the modest side. Check out his art here: https://fredstesney.wordpress.com/). Tell us about the event or Meetup you host or are planning to host: I host Cam's Novel Group. How did you get involved with BSFW and which events do you attend? I found the BSFW through Meetup.com. I'm a regular at Sam's Short Story Group, and have put a novel through Marcus's Novel Group. What have you found most helpful about this writing group? The shop talk. I came in knowing nothing about the business. It would have taken me ten times as long to get the lay of the land on my own. I'm still learning. How do you find time to write? I don't watch much TV, and I avoid most social media. What are you working on now? I'm finishing up my YA SF novel, while tinkering with a bunch of short stories. Publications: Unidentified Funny Objects 5 Unidentified Funny Objects 7. Kaleidocast Season 2  What's your day job?
I help companies raise debt financing and write reports about it. Tell us about the event or Meetup you host. The Manhattan wing of Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers group for short stories and flash fiction on the second Friday of every month. Stories and drinks. Lots of drinks. How did you get involved with BSFW and which events do you attend? I met Rob Cameron at a Tor party and he invited me to join BSFW with a big, warm hug. I am glad I joined. What have you found most helpful about this writing group? Getting different perspectives on my stories has improved my writing. Critiquing everyone's stories has helped me think hard about my own stories and style. What stories have most influenced your writing style? There are many and I add a few more every year. These are the authors I added this year- Mariana Enriquez, Daphne DuMaurier, Nnedi Okorafor, Laura Vanderberg. Jeff VanderMeere and Kevin Brockmeier are all-time favorites. How do you find time to write? Late into the night works best after my son is asleep. What are you working on now? A short story about house hold help in Kolkata and a domestic horror novel If you could submit a story to your dream anthology what would it be about and who else would be in it? It would be an anthology of fantasy-horror stories with a very nuanced portrayal of women protagonists. Vandana Singh, Nnedi Okorafor, Elizabeth Hand, Charliie Jane Anders, Ken Liu Publications: "Sandfall" "Life Apocalyptic" "Anatomy Of Bizarre"  What's your day job?
Full-stack web application engineer...when I'm actually doing the job thing. Which isn't now. Tell us about the event or Meetup you host or are planning to host. I host a monthly novel group meetup in Harlem, as an option for members living/working in Manhattan. How did you get involved with BSFW and which events do you attend? I found BSFW while searching on Meetup.com, and first came to Brad's novel group (or at least, it was at his place). I've attended Cam and Marcus's novel groups, and try to attend Readercon with BSFW every year. What have you found most helpful about this writing group? Aside from thoughtful critique, I've found the group very helpful in becoming a better reviewer, finding markets, suggested authors and reading (esp. beyond my beloved dark/supernatural fiction genre), and overall inspiration. What stories have most influenced your writing style? No specific stories, as I typically find an author I like and try to find and devour everything they've ever written. I hear the influences of many writers in my own style - Stephen King, Clive Barker, Caitlin Kiernan, Poppy Z. Brite, Christa Faust, Laird Barron, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Anne Rice, Ray Bradbury, Stephen Crane, Jack London. How do you find time to write? Writing for me is half fun, half addiction, and a dash of brazen surety that what I'm writing is worth reading for someone, so it's not that difficult to find time. Everyone has the same 24 hours to spend as they choose. I often binge write, but I'm working on carving out a specific time every day, and generally following the 11 commandments of Henry Miller. What are you working on now? Now working on a short that may expand into a novella, "There You Shall Long to Return", about a would-be suicide drawn to skydiving, who encounters things not-of-this-world at 13K feet. If you could submit a story to your dream anthology what would it be about and who else would be in it? In the anthology would be Stephen King, Clive Barker, Caitlin Kiernan, Neil Gaiman, Poppy Z. Brite (now Billy Martin), Laird Barron, and John Langan. And, of course, Teri. :) And while we're indulging in fantasy, the anthology would be Cemetery Dance. Publications? Nothing pro yet, but serial "Lynxharrow: Path of the Witch" (https://www.wattpad.com/story/44919053-lynxharrow-path-of-the-witch) on Wattpad. Also currently submitting my novella "Scream of the Butterfly" to horror markets. "The Sobibor Retrievers" - an old story of mine about Sobibor (an extermination camp in Poland during the Nazi regime, and the only such camp where prisoners ever successfully revolted), and a dark immortal being who comes there in the guise of a young SS officer. The being is drawn by the abnormal abilities of a group of women prisoners, and tries to force them to to recover an object from an unearthly realm called the "Ephemerum".  What's your day job?
I'm a pharmaceutical copywriter. I write the materials pharmaceutical reps use when they're selling to physicians. Tell us about the event or Meetup you host or are planning to host. I currently host the On-the-Spot meetings, and am about to start a Wonderbook workshop, to work through the book about writing by Jeff VanderMeer. How did you get involved with BSFW and which events do you attend? I started BSFW almost 9 years ago when I couldn't find a critique group in NYC that you didn't have to already be a professional writer to attend. I go to as many groups as I can, but regularly (as work allows) attend a short story group, a novel group and the writing hangouts What have you found most helpful about this writing group? Truly professional-level critiques, first and foremost. But also a fantastic group of people I love to hang out (and nerd out) with! What stories have most influenced your writing style? Too numerous to mention! But Neil Gaiman, Brandon Sanderson, Sam J Miller and Daniel Jose Older most recently. Anne McCaffrey, Charles de Lint and Peter S Beagle if you set the way-back machine. How do you find time to write? Mostly, I write on my phone on the train on the way home from work. Sometimes on the way to work. What are you working on now? Re-defining my style. Also, a third-world fantasy about magic as a form of possession. Publications:
If you could submit a story to your dream anthology what would it be about and who else would be in it? The Ghosts of Everything - with Amal El-Mohtar, Sarah Pinsker, Charles deLint, Sam J Miller, Cat Valente, Daniel Jose Older, etc, etc.  Tell us about the event or Meetup you host or are planning to host.
The Queens short-story/novel meet-up is an outpost for all writers in New York's greatest borough, open to all types of stories. How did you get involved with BSFW and which events do you attend? I think I found BSFW from some Google searching for in-person New York writing groups, and it ticked all the boxes. I've been known to attend Sam's Short Story Group, Marcus' Novel Group, Puloma's Short Story Group, and Marcy's Short Story Group. What have you found most helpful about this writing group? Working in critiques into my writing process and vastly improved my writing. You should run towards feedback in order to not be writing in the echo chamber of your own mind. I also like the sense of community it fosters with my fellow travelers in the sf writing world. What stories have most influenced your writing style? Too many to number. I once made a list of about 150 core influences How do you find time to write? You have to make time. I write at lunch breaks, at night after my child goes to bed, on weekends while she naps, and whenever else I get the chance. What are you working on now? A new novel about magic in New York City. If you could submit a story to your dream anthology what would it be about and who else would be in it? It would be an anthology of techno science-fantasy and include work by Max Gladstone, Yoon Ha Lee, Charles Yu, Seth Dickenson, and Hannu Rajaniemi Publications: (with links if possible) "Saul, Again" (Caped) "The Spine of Worlds" (Kaleidotrope) "Judges' Cave" (Kaleidocast- Originally published in Lakeside Circus) "Trials of the Dead King" (LORE) "Logos Ex Machina" (365 Tomorrows) There are a lot of BSFW members that contribute their time and energy to the group, but non more so than the organizers. The Organizer Spotlight will bring you the names and faces of the people who make this writers group what it is, the best place for spec-fic.  Tell us about the event or Meetup you host or are planning to host.
I host my own Short Story Meetup as well as Marcus Tsong's Novel-Writing Meetup in Crown Heights. How did you get involved with BSFW and which events do you attend? I started to coming to meetups after Cam invited me back in 2012, and have been regularly attending short story and novel writing critqiue meetings ever since. Am definitely interested in joining the comics meetup as well! What have you found most helpful about this writing group? The feedback from other writers on my work is very helpful, but also just the process of giving and hearing feedback on other people's work can really get your gears turning when it comes to thinking about how you write. What stories have most influenced your writing style?4.) John Collier's "The Chaser," Shirley Jackson's "The Summer People," Roger Zelazny's "The Last Defender of Camelot," P.G. Wodehouse's "The Code of the Woosters," Jorge Luis Borges' "The Gospel According to Mark," Rachel Swirsky's "Dispersed by the Sun, Melting in the Wind," and I don't know, ask me again later. How do you find time to write? You kind of have to dig your heels in and prepare for it, even when you're tempted to double-book yourself. What are you working on now? I have a completed novel I am currently seeking representation for and am collaborating on a novella that is still in progress. I also try to keep working on at least one short story at any given time. If you could submit a story to your dream anthology what would it be about and who else would be in it? I’d love to be in any number of “Year’s Best” anthologies, but also I like the idea of an anthology similar to Neil Gaiman’s “Stories,” which includes stories from Kat Howard, Walter Mosley, and Gaiman himself. Publications: You can find links to my publications on my website: thesamschreiber.com, but they are: “Four Legs Good, Eight Legs Better," Tales to Terrify, October, 2018 "Ennigaldi," Vastarien: A Literary Journal, September, 2018 "Facebook Screamed and Screamed, Then I Ate It," Reprinted in The Overcast, July, 2018 "Lucid as the Snow," Hi-Concept Magazine, November, 2017 "Viscera," Reprinted in Tales to Terrify, October, 2017 "Homo Homini Lupus," Occult Detective Quarterly, October, 2017 "Viscera," A Breath from the Sky: Stories of Unusual Possession, August, 2017 "Facebook Screamed and Screamed, Then I Ate It," Analog Science Fiction and Fact, May, 2017 "First Cause," the Kaleidocast, May 2016 "Ahzi," In Memory of Dragons, Pendragon Variety Literary Magazine, June 2013 "Linger," The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine, March, 2013 "Snakehead, "Journey Into...," July, 2012 "Corinthians," PodCastle, December, 2010
 Thanks to Melissa Ann Singer at Tor for getting this to me as fast as non-Cloud space would allow. I'm not going to gush or rave about Max Gladstone's Empress of Forever. I'm not going to tell you it's the kind of book that you binge like season one of Stranger Things even though you have work the next day, but fuck sleep, lesson plans, and employment. I'm not going to tell you that after I finished reading it, I handed it to a good friend and said, "You need to read this book, because it's actually you." I won't do any of that. Instead, I'll simply give you the objective truth about Max's space opera.
At close to 500 pages, Empress of Forever is a hell'a lot of book. This is very much in the ballpark for what you might expect from any epic fantasy or space opera novel (and it feels very much like a merging of the two). Yet, the book is incredibly focused, and wears its theme like a well-earned neck tattoo. Because of this, Empress of Forever could have easily continued for another 200 pages. There's that much story to tell. One might grade a book on how many dope ass moments the author can string together. In Empress of Forever, said dope ass moments and stunning concepts practically fall off the bone every chapter. Max's universe is a hopeful, unapologetically fun one that you actually want to live in. Hell, you might even prefer to die in it. And again, because of focused story telling, each D.A.M! does not feel forced or gratuitous. They're earned and build up to a satisfying payoff. This brings me to one of my favorite elements of the book, Max's surgical use of violence. There are no sacrificial, plot lambs. Violence and death serve very specific higher purposes in the novel that force the reader to ask important questions. So what if you kill the space demon? What happens after you "liberate" the nation? What does it take to earn love? What is the self? What does true victory actually look like? True freedom? Intertwined with these questions are our expectations of a protagonist. Max bends them as well. Vivian Liao is not an orphan. She's no farm boy, hard-boiled anti-hero, or messiah coming into her own. She categorically does not have a secret power that will blossom if only she believes in herself. Vivian Liao is a fragile human amongst monsters, aliens, and legends. At the same time, she is a planetary scale hero with admantine leadership qualities. Dear readers, that's how she begins the story. Vivian's journey across the galaxy tears at the very fabric of the universe while remaining profoundly personal. Though Max introduces us to her one step removed from revolutionary, it becomes clear very quickly that she has a lot of growing to do before she can succeed, and we very much want her to succeed. There is no such thing as the perfect story. Having said that, this is an objectively fantastic book. The prose will stun you. The world will hold you. The characters will make room for you. The following critiques arise from explicative necessity. Prospective authors should read and learn from this book. As I said, Empress of Forever could have easily been over 700 pages, but is edited down to under 500. This may be required by the industry, but there are a few scenes that could have used more room to breathe. Having said that, they still work very well, because the storytelling is laser-locked on its target. The point was never to spend the entirety of the special effects budget. My final critique is that this is not a book written for readers who want to shut off their brain. There is no autopilot in the Cloud. Empress of Forever both offers and asks the universe of you. The last climatic fight scene alone demands close reading and consideration. This is a good thing. What's the point of a story that leaves the reader the same as how it found them? Empress of Forever is a challenge to other authors as well. My hope is that Max's novel is an overture, herald to space opera that takes our collective heart, and laughing against the pain, pushes us to go faster. "Come on, let's go exploring." - Vivian Liao P.S. Max, who do you imagine playing the part of Zanj in the series? Or better yet, doing the art for the comic book? Marcy Arlin "Brooklyn Fantasia," short story, Diabolical Plots Elliotte Rusty Harold “What Does a Time Machine Cost,” short story, Abyss & Apex Brit E.B. Hvide “The Emigrants’ Guide to Oregon, California, and the Unknown,” short story, Uncanny Magazine Ivy Spadille "The Other Side of Otto Mountain," novelette, in Fiyah Magazine #6 The Whist Clowns of Old Frizzle,” short story, in Syntax and Salt Mimi Mondal “The Trees of My Youth Grew Tall,” short story, Strange Horizons “So It Was Foretold,” short story, Fireside Magazine Ted Rabinowitz “A Dog of Wu,” novelette, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Andrew Sayre “A Discourse on the Aliens,” short story, Bewildering Stories “The Missionaries,” short story, self-published Sam Schrieber "Ennigaldi," short story, Vastarien "Four Legs Good, Eight Legs Better," short story, Tales to Terrify Fred Stesney “Key, Fang & Klaw,” short story, Unidentified Funny Objects #7 Marcy Arlin "Brooklyn Fantasia," short story, Diabolical Plots Plus Two Special Possibilities: Kaleidocast [Dramatic Presentation] Producers; Cameron Roberson, Bradley Robert Parks, Sam Schreiber, Marcy Arlin, Jessica Plumbley Shan Chakraborty [as S.A. Chakraborty] “The City of Brass” for the John W. Campbell Award    It’s awards season, and BSFWers are up for some. Does that include you? Maybe! Here are some of the basics: The two big awards are the Hugos [named after early SF publisher Hugo Gernsback] and the Nebulas. [No, we won’t explain that one. I mean, LMGTFY.] The Nebulas are awarded by SFWA, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Nebula eligibility - both for voters and for stories - is more restrictive than Hugo eligibility, but easier to determine. The Hugos are awarded by the World Science Fiction Society, and they are wide open – both in terms of who can vote, the number of categories, and the works and recipients that are eligible. Nebulas are awarded by SFWA’s membership. SFWA’s members are “professional writers of SFF” - that is, folks who have made a certain number of sales in “qualifying markets” or made more than a certain amount of money selling their work. Both full members and associate members (who have made fewer sales) can vote. Here are the big Nebula eligibility rules:
Hugos and the World Science Fiction Society are…different. The World Science Fiction Society is less a freestanding club than it is a neural-network-distributed, ad hoc organization to create the Worldcon and award the Hugos for the next year. To Wikiquote: WSFS has no standing officers, only small standing committees, and a large membership composed of the members of the current Worldcon. Its main activities are running the selection (voting) process for the annual convention and various awards. The conventions themselves are run by non-profit, volunteer fan organizations, who bid to host the event. The WSFS constitution and the Hugos eligibility can change every year, and there have been attempts to game the Hugo nomination/voting process in the past. However, the Hugos are both a (slightly) bigger deal than the Nebulas and more open to campaigning and to newcomers. Anyone who attends the Worldcon (or has a membership to attend) can nominate and vote for works published in the previous year.
Ted RabinowitzAfter working as a story analyst, producer, and professional gambler, Ted Rabinowitz (a.k.a. Ted Mendelson) now writes marketing copy and speculative fiction, two entirely different kinds of imaginative literature. Ted is the author of The Wrong Sword, a comic fantasy. His latest short story, A Dog of Wu, appears in the March/April 2018 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. |
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