By the Salish Sea

I'm delighted to announce I'll be a Guest of Honour at WisCon 49, the Feminist Inclusive SFF Convention, held in Madison, WI, May 27 to May 31, 2027. This will be my first WisCon for over 20 years—I hope you'll join me and co-GoH Annalee Newitz in-person or online. Early-bird tickets available now.

It's a wonderful feeling when friends take one's Pictish-stye animal doodles and turn them into tangible art: wine bags printed with hares and otters; handmade paper cards to go with them; and polished bronze lapel pins of a sprinting hare. Life is good.

Charlie has been gone 7 weeks, and several people have asked how George is doing without his brother whom he relied on to investigate, engage with, and certify-as-safe All The New Things. My heart aches for how brave George has to be now, every day. But he's managing: our Best and Bravest.

Whenever I see an empty chair—my just-vacated wheelchair, the comfy chair on the kitchen deck—all I can see is that Charlie isn't sitting in it. George won't sit them, either. We all miss that small fierce beast.

SLOW RIVER on sale for $1.99! Today and US only, all platforms. Go buy it: a) At that price why not?! b) It's stuffed with visual and emotional set-pieces: very cinematic c) It's more relevant today that when I wrote it—and suffused with hope. Lots more reasons in the post...

I just found out about this Tube Map of Queer Authors put together by the Barbican and Community Libraries in London. As usual, SFF forms a closed loop unconnected to other fiction—but hey, bottom line? I'm sandwiched between Octavia and Arthur C. Clarke and on the bottom line with Sappho...

Charlie Bean, best and brightest, 2019 - 2026. Kelley and I are heartbroken and his brother George is bewildered. But don't be sad for Charlie. Every minute of his life was a miracle, and he knew he was loved. Go hug your beasties, your sweetie, your kids. Life is precious—but it is short.

38 years ago today I met and fell instantly and irrevocably in love with Kelley (you may not believe it, but it's true). 38 years later, we're living the life that bloomed from that moment. Every day is a miracle. Here's that story in photos (updated).

Huh. 👀 Apparently Here Theatre has a 'world-bending new play,' "Fahrenheit Ammonite", by Kit Lazaroo, inspired by Fahrenheit 451 and AMMONITE and Watership Down (!!). Now playing at the University of Tasmania @utas.edu.au The world is a very strange place...

Did you love AMMONITE? Then you'll want the new edition with new cover *and* new content! New content? Yes! The prequel, a story of when a native herder and Mirror first meet in dangerous circumstances and set off the events that lead, years later, to Marghe arriving on planet Jeep...

New editions of two of my novels. Not just spiffy new covers but delicious new content. I'll tell you more about that closer to the time. But you won't have to wait long: they're coming soon. Oh, yes indeed. Very sooooooon....

Thursday's Pride celebration centred on the Aud novels at the National Nordic Museum is cancelled. Kelley's stepfather is hospitalised with metastatic inoperable cancer. We're scrambling to fix his house and sort a care team to allow him to be discharged to home hospice. Expect slow communication...

June is Pride month rainbows everywhere. A visiting alien might be forgiven for thinking that being queer was something universally celebrated and rejoiced in by all, with no stigma or negative consequences even a possibility. They might mistake our world for Fairyland. We do not live in Fairyland.

Tomorrow—Tuesday 7pm—I'm at Elliott Bay Book Company talking with Ray Nayler about his new book, PALACES OF THE CROW, a fascinating exploration of all things cooperative, competitive, inter-species, and environmental—hatred and hope, ferocity and forgiveness—in a time of war. Join us!

A sneaky clue relating to an unexpected invitation to journey to the heart of Empire accepted by Kelley and I earlier this year. And also a Very Wrong (if you under the constitutional government of the UK) Early Medievalisation of the symbols of power. Enjoy :)

Updates on her latest SHE IS HERE Reviews, gardening plans, cryptic publishing hints, and upcoming events in Seattle: a conversation with Ray Nayler at Elliott Bay Books and a Pride celebration at the National Nordic Museum focused on the glorious Norwegian (and Seattle) queerness of the Aud books.

Early Medieval scribes and Pictish stone carvers were really good at depicting animals—in profile, and not moving. So when trying to create Early-Medieval style beasties like otters, imbued with personality and moving like curious children in endless play, it's no surprise things get...interesting.