Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I’ve come across and share them with you over tea. Today’s tea is Amaretto from the Tea Centre. This flavoured black tastes strongly of marzipan, making it a favourite of mine.
Follow Up
Earlier this year, Forestofglory wrote a guest post calling for help in naming the new YA Award to be associated with the Hugos. The committee responsible for looking into the award have just released their report (PDF). Their recommendations are that the award be presented unnamed next year and thereafter be known as the Lodestar.
Awards News
Speaking of the Hugo Awards, a reminder that voting closes this weekend!
The 2017 Aurealis Awards are now open for nominations. Eligible works must be created by an Australian citizen, or permanent resident, and published for the first time this year. Entries close 7 December, but as a former judge, I highly recommend submitting sooner rather than later to avoid the last-minute rush.
Community and Conventions
Fireside Fiction is undergoing a change of management, with Brian J. White stepping down. Pablo Defendini is taking over as publisher and Elsa Sjunneson-Henry as managing editor. Julia Rios and Mikki Kendall are also joining the team.
On Equity
From Kotaku comes this article on the influence of female creators in shaping Dungeons and Dragons.
K. Tempest Bradford reminds us that cultural appropriation is indefensible.
Kelly Robson shares why her futures include disability.
The Asexual and the Asexual Journal are new online spaces for the ace community. They share articles and creative pieces from ace creators.
For Writers
The forthcoming Mothers of Invention anthology, edited by Tansy Rayner Roberts and Rivqa Rafael, is currently open for submissions. They’re accepting stories of 500-5000 words on gender as it relates to the creation of artificial intelligence. Submissions close 31 August.
Leife Shallcross discusses her experiences with Hodderscape’s open submission process.
Leife and several other members of the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild share the advice they’d give to their younger selves in relation to writing.
Over at the Tor/Forge blog, Michael F. Haspil suggests 5 gaming tools to help your writing. These were not what I expected, being mostly focused on idea generation. I’m also not familiar with any except the first, but they seem like solid suggestions.
For Readers
Thoraiya Dyer reveals the gorgeous cover to Echoes of Understory, the sequel to her debut novel Crossroads of Canopy.
Ticonderoga Publications has announced The Silver Well, a collaborative collection from Kate Forsyth and Kim Wilkins.
That piece on cultural appropriation is really, really good. I’m exhausted with reading pieces from white authors complaining about how they’re not allowed to this or they’re not allowed to that, like it’s not perfectly obvious from the current political environment that white folks are allowed to GODDAMN ANYTHING. >:(
Honestly, you’d think things like this were common sense, but apparently not.