Uncanny Magazine Issue 32 Read online

  UNCANNY MAGAZINE

  “Uncanny Magazine Editorial Staff” by Uncanny Magazine

  About Our Cover Artist: Nilah Magruder by Nilah Magruder

  “The Uncanny Valley” by Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas

  “Imagining Place: The BBC Miniseries” by Elsa Sjunneson

  “Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse” by Rae Carson

  “My Country Is A Ghost” by Eugenia Triantafyllou

  “You Perfect, Broken Thing” by C.L. Clark

  “Where You Linger” by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam

  “And All the Trees of the Forest Shall Clap Their Hands” by Sharon Hsu

  “The Spirit of the Leech” by Alex Bledsoe

  “Braid of Days and Wake of Nights” by E. Lily Yu

  “Writing With My Keys Between My Fingers” by Meg Elison

  “Save Me a Seat on the Couch: Spoiler Culture, Inclusion, and Disability” by Marissa Lingen

  “Speculative Fictions, Everywhere We Look” by Malka Older

  “Street Harassment Is an Access Issue” by Katharine Duckett

  “Who Do You Think You Are” by Ada Hoffmann

  “Elegy for the Self as Villeneuve’s Belle” by Brandon O’Brien

  “The Death of the Gods” by Leah Bobet

  “A tenjō kudari (“ceiling hanger” yōkai) defends her theft” by Betsy Aoki

  “Interview: Eugenia Triantafyllou” by Caroline M. Yoachim

  “Interview: Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam” by Caroline M. Yoachim

  “Thank You, Patreon Supporters!” by Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas

  Edited by Lynne M. Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas, and Michi Trota

  Ebook generated by Clockpunk Studios.

  Copyright © 2019 by Uncanny Magazine.

  www.uncannymagazine.com

  Uncanny Magazine Editorial Staff

  Publishers/Editors–in–Chief: Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas

  Managing Editor: Chimedum Ohaegbu

  Nonfiction Editor: Elsa Sjunneson

  Podcast Producers: Erika Ensign & Steven Schapansky

  Podcast Readers: Joy Piedmont & Erika Ensign

  Assistant Editor: Angel Cruz

  Interviewers: Caroline M. Yoachim & Lynne M. Thomas

  Submissions Editors: Andrew Adams, Cislyn Smith, Coral Moore, Dolores Peters, Heather Clitheroe, Heather Leigh, Jay Wolf, Karlyn Meyer, Kay Taylor Rea, Liam Meilleur, Matt Peters, Piper Hale, Renee Christopher, Tazmania Hayward, Zoe Mitchell, C. E. McGill, Nhu Le, Rowan MacBean, Brahidaliz Martinez, Genevra Littlejohn, Sonia Sulaiman, Marissa Harwood

  Logo & Wordmark design: Katy Shuttleworth

  About Our Cover Artist: Nilah Magruder

  Nilah Magruder is a writer and artist based in Los Angeles. From her beginnings in the woods of the eastern United States she developed an eternal love for three things: nature, books, and animation.

  She has written and storyboarded for television studios like DreamWorks and Disney. She also illustrates children’s books, including the Dactyl Hill Squad series by Daniel José Older from Scholastic. Nilah is the author of M.F.K., a middle-grade graphic novel from Insight Editions and the winner of the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity, and How to Find a Fox, a picture book. She has published short fiction in the anthology All Out (edited by Saundra Mitchell), in Fireside Magazine, and for Marvel Comics.

  When she is not working, Nilah is watching movies, growing herbs, roller-skating, and fighting her cats for control of her desk chair.

  The Uncanny Valley

  by Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas

  We didn’t expect to be writing this editorial at home. We really thought this would be composed at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

  As many of you know, our daughter, Caitlin, has been very ill over the last two months. She was hospitalized for 34 out of 38 total days in that period with a brief respite in the middle. This included her 17th birthday, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. It’s been a scary and stressful time, but thankfully we have a fabulous support system of loved ones, friends, colleagues, and the entire Space Unicorn Ranger Corps. They’ve all been there for us, helping out and supporting in every possible way. We launched Uncanny Magazine Issue 31 in an Urbana hospital, the December half in Lurie Hospital, and edited much of this issue in Caitlin’s hospital rooms and quiet spaces in lobbies. We are exhausted, but all of you gave us enough love and strength so we could push through. We’re back at the hospital in a week for follow up, but we know you will be there for us again, Space Unicorns.

  That is the power of this Uncanny Magazine community. We band together with our love of art, beauty, intellectualism, resistance to evil, and kindness. We become so much stronger and better. There are no evils we can’t tackle together. Thank you, Space Unicorns.

  Excellent award news, Space Unicorns! The 2019 World Fantasy Award winners were announced, and “Like a River Loves the Sky” by Emma Törzs was the co-winner for the Best Short Story World Fantasy Award (shared with “Ten Deals with the Indigo Snake” by Mel Kassel from Lightspeed)! THIS IS SUCH FABULOUS NEWS! This is also the first time an Uncanny Magazine story has won a World Fantasy Award! (Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas were also finalists for the Special Award–Non-Professional World Fantasy Award for Uncanny Magazine.) Congratulations to Emma, and to all of the winners and finalists!

  As you may know, starting with this Uncanny Magazine issue, our new Nonfiction Editor is Elsa Sjunneson! Uncanny readers should be very familiar with Elsa. She was the guest Editor-in-Chief (with Dominik Parisien) and Nonfiction Editor of Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction, and has had her essays and fiction published in Uncanny on numerous occasions. We are so thrilled to have Elsa taking over the nonfiction editing. She did a tremendous job as a DPDSF guest editor, and has proven time and time again that along with being a brilliant writer, she is one of the best editors in the business.

  It’s the time of year when people post their year-in-reviews to remind voters for the different SF/F awards what’s out there that they might have missed and which categories those stories are eligible in (especially for the Hugo Awards and Nebula Awards). 2019 was the fifth full year of Uncanny Magazine (Issues 26 through 31, including the Disabled People Destroy Fantasy special issue). We are extremely proud of the year we had.

  This year, Uncanny Magazine is still eligible for the Best Semiprozine Hugo Award. Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas are also still eligible for the Best Editor (Short Form) Hugo Award for editing issues 26-29, and 31. (Note: If you are nominating the Thomases in this category, please continue to nominate them together. They are a co-editing team.)

  You can find links to all of the Uncanny Magazine 2019 stories along with their award categories on our blog!

  (Please note that essays are eligible for the Best Related Work Hugo Award, and poetry is eligible for the Rhysling Award. As Uncanny is a semiprozine, all of the essays and original art also contribute towards the creators’ Best Fan Writer and Best Fan Artist Hugo Award eligibility.)

  The forthcoming The Best of Uncanny (edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas) from Subterranean Press received a coveted STARRED REVIEW from Library Journal!

  “… the diverse range of voices, works, and prose show the wealth of creativity, humanity, and talent in today’s science fiction and fantasy writers. The introduction from editors Thomas and Thomas show their passion for the genre. VERDICT: This delightful volume of imaginative writing will be devoured by genre fans and newcomers alike.”

  This is in addition to the starred reviews from Publishers Weekly Booklist, and Kirkus!

  You can order this GIGANTIC BOOK from Subterranean Press or from most places tha
t sell books! Unless it is already out of print, which we were told by the publisher is possible!

  Space Unicorns! Are you excited about the forthcoming The Best of Uncanny (edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas) from Subterranean Press? We have more great news! There will be four launch events next year featuring the editors and writers!

  University Book Store

  Seattle, WA

  Friday, January 17th at 6:30 PM

  Attending: Michael Damian Thomas, Caroline M. Yoachim, and E. Lily Yu

  Shakespeare & Co.

  Philadelphia, PA

  Saturday, January 25 around 6 PM

  Attending: Lynne M. Thomas, Fran Wilde, Sarah Pinsker, C. S. E. Cooney, Shveta Thakrar, Sara Cleto, Ali Trotta, and K.M. Szpara

  Illini Union Bookstore

  Champaign, IL

  Wednesday, February 5 at 6:30 PM

  Attending: Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas

  Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore

  Minneapolis, MN

  Saturday, February 15 at 1 PM

  Attending: Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas, and Merc Fenn Wolfmoor, plus Kelly McCullough

  We hope to see you at one of these events, Space Unicorns!

  And now the contents of Uncanny Magazine Issue 32! The spectacular cover is Fallen Embers by Nilah Magruder. Our new fiction includes Rae Carson’s thunderous tale of motherhood in terrifying circumstances “Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse,” Eugenia Triantafyllou’s heartfelt tale of immigration, family, and loss “My Country Is a Ghost,” C.L. Clark’s powerful story of competition and terrible stakes “You Perfect, Broken Thing,” Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam’s heart-wrenching exploration of a lifetime’s sex and love “Where You Linger,” Sharon Hsu’s dissection of portal fantasies and colonialism “And All the Trees of the Forest Shall Clap Their Hands,” and Alex Bledsoe’s sharp and horrific yarn of faith and monsters “The Spirit of the Leech.” Our reprint is E. Lily Yu’s “Braid of Days and Wake of Nights,” originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Jan/Feb 2016.

  Our provocative and compelling essays this month include “Writing with My Keys Between My Fingers” by Meg Elison, “Save Me a Seat on the Couch: Spoiler Culture, Inclusion, and Disability” by Marissa Lingen, “Speculative Fictions, Everywhere We Look” by Malka Older, and “Street Harassment Is an Access Issue” by Katharine Duckett. This month also includes a new editorial column by Nonfiction Editor Elsa Sjunneson called “Imagining Place: The BBC Miniseries.” Our gorgeous and evocative poetry includes “Who Do You Think You Are” by Ada Hoffmann, “Elegy for the Self as Villeneuve’s Belle” by Brandon O’Brien, “The Death of the Gods” by Leah Bobet, and “A tenjō kudari (“ceiling hanger” yōkai) defends her theft” by Betsy Aoki. Finally, Caroline M. Yoachim interviews Eugenia Triantafyllou and Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam about their stories.

  The Uncanny Magazine Podcast 32A features “Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse” by Rae Carson, as read by Erika Ensign, “Who Do You Think You Are” by Ada Hoffmann, as read by Joy Piedmont, and Lynne M. Thomas interviewing Rae Carson. The Uncanny Magazine Podcast 32B features “And All the Trees of the Forest Shall Clap Their Hands” by Sharon Hsu, as read by Joy Piedmont, “The Death of the Gods” by Leah Bobet, as read by Erika Ensign, and Lynne M. Thomas interviewing Sharon Hsu.

  As always, we are deeply grateful for your support of Uncanny Magazine. Shine on, Space Unicorns!

  © 2020 Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas

  Lynne and Michael are the Publishers/Editors-in-Chief for the four-time Hugo and Parsec Award-winning Uncanny Magazine.

  Eight-time Hugo Award winner Lynne M. Thomas was the Editor-in-Chief of Apex Magazine (2011-2013). She co-edited the Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig Time Lords (with Tara O’Shea) as well as Whedonistas (with Deborah Stanish) and Chicks Dig Comics (with Sigrid Ellis).

  Along with being a five-time Hugo Award-winner, Michael Damian Thomas was the former Managing Editor of Apex Magazine (2012-2013), co-edited the Hugo-finalist Queers Dig Time Lords (with Sigrid Ellis), and co-edited Glitter & Mayhem (with John Klima and Lynne M. Thomas).

  Together, they solve mysteries.

  Imagining Place: The BBC Miniseries

  by Elsa Sjunneson

  Places are imbued with genre. The ways in which we experience space, time, geography, and adventure are influenced by what media we read and consume. For the next year at Uncanny I’ll be doing meditations on place and genre. Sometimes it will be about real places, sometimes about the places we imagine and how we construct space for the characters we write about. My life is going to be a little mobile for the time being, so it’s possible this will be a good place for me to reflect on my experience as well.

  Last month I found myself in a BBC miniseries. Or at least, that’s how my brain understood the trip that I took to London and Darbyshire. I was there for a wedding, to visit my best friend from elementary school and stand up for her as a bridesmaid.

  I had traveled across the globe by myself, too. Not an easy feat when you’re attached to a 63-pound Labrador who thinks foxes in public parks are the new black. (Yes, there are foxes in London. According to my friends who live there, it’s like London’s version of raccoons.) For those of you just joining me in my corner of the internet, I’m deafblind and I’m escorted literally everywhere (including foreign countries) by a black Labrador guide dog whose code name is Astra.

  So let’s break down why this trip felt like a BBC miniseries.

  There are set dressings first of all: The two places I stayed once I made the two-hour trip to Darbyshire were a converted convalescent home with a view of a sheep field, and a converted chapel next to a pub with a view of a sheer cliff face and what I’m pretty sure was a priest hole that had been glassed over so you could see it for effect.

  You could stand at the pulpit and chat with your friends in the living room.

  Secondly, there’s the emotional tension. I was grappling with major changes in my life, changes that are going to affect the next several years of my life. Geographically, emotionally, spiritually.

  So when I found myself standing on the side of the road, a light English rain falling on my shoulders, looking out over a moss covered stone wall to a slowly rising river that flowed under the bridge. When I fled the converted church trying to stifle feelings I couldn’t manage to hide any longer. When my new friend, the Scotland Yard detective came to find me…

  My brain categorized the whole weekend as a BBC Miniseries. It was the easiest way to explain the weekend (well, really middle of the week) that I had to people who weren’t there. It could have been a modern-day Downton Abbey. At points, the Scotland Yard detective and I joked that there was going to be a murder and we were going to have to solve it, a la Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie. The ex-convalescent home might have one been the grounds of a Call the Midwife episode.

  My brain picked a genre for the emotional and geographic experience that I had.

  And we do that pretty frequently. We pick what matches our experience, we pattern-match. We find what we think best explains what has happened to us—sometimes it’s unfair.

  I mean, the truth is, no one lives in a BBC miniseries. That idyllic, dramatic setting doesn’t really exist, and yet in the liminal space of a three-day wedding it does.

  We create our experiences, try to make sense of them through the stories we tell. We create order out of chaos by trying to tell our friends what genre, what trope, what episode we’ve experienced one after the other.

  Our lives are shaped by the media we consume, and in fact our understanding of that media is what shapes our emotional reaction to our lives.

  I loved my trip to England—despite the emotional turmoil and the priest hole that I could swear English Schoolgirl Sadako (the well-dwelling ghost of Japanese horror fame, veiled by her own hair, clawing her way from the well through your TV screen) was going to crawl her way out of. I loved it because it allowed m
e to be the tweed-wearing woman with a dog at her side, walking down country roads and drinking more tea and half pints of cider than anybody has a right to.

  It allowed me to be one of the iterations of myself that I hadn’t experienced in a long time. I like her. I think I’ll keep her. I think I’ll go back.

  Each time I go back to the countryside of England, though, it won’t be a BBC miniseries. As it becomes a place that I know, rather than an experience that I visit, I’ll find myself seeing less of the genre and more of the truth.

  © Elsa Sjunneson

  Elsa Sjunneson is a deafblind Hugo and Aurora award-winning editor, whose work has been featured here at Uncanny as Co-Guest Editor in Chief of Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction, and Fireside Quarterly. Her authorial work has appeared on CNN Opinion, Tor.com, The Boston Globe, and many other venues. She travels with a void dog at her side, and writes wherever she lands with all six feet firmly on the ground. (And yes, that math does work out.)

  Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse

  by Rae Carson

  My labor pangs are mild at first. They’re intense, sure, but it’s mostly warmth and pressure like my abdomen is hugging itself. I’ve got time. Hours maybe, before I have to flee the enclave and get myself to the birthing hideout.

  In the meantime, I’m in our makeshift infirmary, trying to get water past old Eileen’s tight-pressed lips because we ran out of IV and NG intubation supplies a long time ago. She reluctantly takes one sip, two, and that’s all she can handle before she grunts, whips her grayed head to the side, spraying water all over the chalkboard.

  She whispers, “No more, Brit. It hurts.”

  “You have to drink—”

  “Let me go.”

  I pull the mug back and stare down at my friend. Eileen’s hair spreads thin and gray across the faded sheets of her cot. Except for the tumor bulge in her belly, she’s so tiny now, her muscles wasted away, her wrinkly skin so loose it looks like a whole different person used to live inside it.