My short story “Goodnight Stars” which appears in The End is NOW edited by John J Adams and Hugh Howey, was nominated for a Hugo. The story will be in the nomination packet as well as online for free soon now, so that those who wish to read it may. I’m damn proud of this story (the entire set of stories I wrote for the Apocalypse Triptych actually, I think might be some of my best work ever).
I should be dancing about this. Inside, I am a bit. Because it’s a damn good story, maybe the best short story I’ve ever written (and I’ve written over 100 of those things in the last six years). But this Hugo season is full of controversy, which I’m not going to really talk about, because I find it exhausting and I have better things to do. This will be my only statement about it, if I can help it.
To clarify some things that shouldn’t matter but apparently do:
I am a socialist, if I have to quantify my political leanings. I’d vote Elizabeth Warren into the presidency if she ran, though she’s still not liberal enough for me (but she’s smart enough, too smart to run probably, hah), if that gives an idea of what I mean here.
I am queer in that I am an out bisexual who has had more female partners than male. (I am married and monogamous with a man but still identify as bi because I don’t think who I ended up in love with should matter).
I have two X chromosomes and a vagina. Also boobs. And tattoos (90 hours and counting!).
My nominated story features a non-white female protagonist. Most of my stories do, actually. I think the world is a very interesting and diverse place, I grew up in a multi-ethnic and diverse family, and I don’t see our future becoming less diverse so I choose to write about a world that has as many different people in it as I can dream up.
Honestly, the thought that the above information would change whether or not my story gets read and considered, in either direction, makes me a little sick to my stomach. I am not so naive, however, that I think we exist in a political and social vacuum. So I figure these things need to be said by me, so that at least the information is out there. People will still make whatever assumptions they want to, and will vote however they want to. That’s out of my control.
What is in my control is how hard I work at my job. I am a professional SF/F writer. I’ve attended more than 20 workshops over the last five years, always striving to deliver better and more awesome stories for my readers. I work my ass off on my craft and on the business side. I’ve sold over thirty short stories to magazines and anthologies. I’ve sold nearly a quarter million books as an indie author.
My job, as I see it, is to write the best damn books I can, books that readers will love and not be able to put down.
I feel that “Goodnight Stars” is one of my best accomplishments. My editors, many reviewers, and my readers have agreed with this. I think I get as much fan mail about my stories in the Triptych as I do about my bestselling urban fantasy series. So I hope the story gets read and judged on its own merits. If it doesn’t… well… not much will change.
I’ll still be here, working to write better and better books. Because I have the best fans and readers a writer could ask for, supporters who allow me to go on being a full time author and to keep doing my job.
And that is an award nobody can take away from me. 🙂
