Blog
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“Now and Then and Back Again: A Play of Three Acts”: The Chorochronos Archives
In 2017, I started writing-and-finishing things after a pretty long break (and, a couple years later, started submitting some of them). 2017 was a bad time for politics in the United States, and it just kept getting worse. (No, I did not think it would end with hundreds of thousands of excess pandemic deaths and…
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“Coffin Bell”: The NoSleep Podcast
My micro story “Coffin Bell” is part of Suddenly Shocking Vol. 13, a bonus episode of The NoSleep Podcast. It’s available to Season 15 pass holders. This story’s a reprint nobody read: I originally published it on my Patreon, back when I thought I might do something with Patreon. (I mostly posted pictures of flowers…
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National Science Fiction Day
It’s National Science Fiction Day, apparently because this is when we think Isaac Asimov was probably born, more or less. I’m not a big fan of policing genre boundaries. That’s partially because it’s an exercise in futility, partially because of the toxicity often motivating such impulses. (Counting FTL and psionics as science fictional, and shuffling…
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Little Blue Marble 2020: Greener Futures
The fourth annual Little Blue Marble anthology is out now. It collects stories published during 2020, including my own “Digital Pyre.” Proceeds help keep the webzine up, running, and paying pro rates. The print edition ships soon; the digital version is available almost instantaneously. Pick up a copy at Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble or…
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Pushcart nomination
Corvid Queen announced their Pushcart nominations today. I’m very pleased that my story “Changeling” is on the list. The other nominees are “Plucked” by Tara Calaby, “The Giving Limbs” by Briana Garelli, “Beauty Pretends to Get Lost in the Garden” by Quinn Lui, “In Which His Sea Bride Regrets” by Kim Welliver, and “The Magic…
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The obligatory awards post
As 2020 slouches toward its end, authors pause their doomscrolling and conscientiously abandon their works in progress for a few moments (note: this is career-related, and therefore absolutely entirely nothing at all like procrastination). They assemble links, quash their self-consciousness, and hurl self-promoting posts into the aether before diving under a blanket. It just so…
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“Purple Lizard Skin”: Wyldblood
I neglected to post last week, but my SF story “Purple Lizard Skin” was Wyldblood‘s Friday Flash and is free to read on the site. It’s the first time this byline’s appeared in a publication based outside of North America. That doesn’t much matter when so much of short fiction publishing is online, but is…
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“Changeling”: Corvid Queen
My short story “Changeling” is now available to read in Corvid Queen. The concept of changelings is fertile ground for fiction. It’s a way to discuss loss, theft, disability, and deception, prompting characters to question their own perceptions or belonging. In my short tale, I wanted to bring in adoption (an emotionally fraught process even…
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“5:37”: Translunar Travelers Lounge
Issue Three of Translunar Travelers Lounge went live on August 15. In addition to the free-to-read online format, it’s also available as an ebook from Amazon. My short story “5:37” is on the menu (one of four Jasmine Luna Blends, “subtle in scent and sweet in flavor”). The story’s basic concept is a decades-old joke…
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“Digital Pyre”: Little Blue Marble
“Digital Pyre” is online at Little Blue Marble. I used to be an archivist; some of my work involved digitizing materials. There are constant sighs (or screams) within the field at the assumption that archivists should digitize everything. Professionally speaking, throwing things away is an important function. We’re living in an era of ubiquitous information.…
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Glitter and Hope StoryBundle
The Glitter and Hope Bundle, curated by Cat Rambo, is available from StoryBundle. It’s a pay-what-you-want/can model, starting at $5, and you’ll receive DRM-free ebooks. I originally conceived of it as a hopepunk centered bundle, but as I sorted through possibilities, I found less punk than plenty of hopeful stories that reminded me that hope…
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“Shared Space”: Community of Magic Pens
Today is the official publication date of Community of Magic Pens. You can find the anthology at various retailers—Amazon, Bookshop, Kobo, etc.—or buy direct from the publisher, Atthis Arts. This project has been a delight. I was charmed when I saw the Kickstarter. A lot of the stories kicking around in my head have trended…
A. P. Howell 