Tag: clarkesworld

Of City Windows and Anthologies

On By A. T. GreenblattIn General RamblingsLeave a comment

I’m writing this tonight from my desk in my living room/office while eating dinner. It’s been that sort of weekend. Not bad, but gone too quickly. My desk sits in front of a window and from it I can see the people in the apartments across the street, in their kitchens or dining room or hybrid spaces like mine. I know they can see me too.

Do neighbors in NYC wave to each other? Or do we politely pretend we don’t have windows into each other’s lives?

I was going to talk about my writing this week, but honestly, works-in-progress are not very interesting to talk about because it’s usually the same update week after week: Still writing and still revising. So I’ll just say that one delightful surprise was getting the Long List Anthology, Volume 8 in the mail! This has my story “Questions Asked in the Belly of the World” as well as many other amazing pieces published in 2021. As a reader, I alway really enjoyed this anthology series.

Long List Anthology Volume 8 Cover on a black background

My short fiction recommendation this week is “We Built This City” by Marie Vibbert over at Clarkesworld Magazine

Until next weekend, stay safe and healthy!

Year End Eligibility Post 2020

On By A. T. GreenblattIn General Ramblings, Publishing Updates1 Comment

Oh man, what a year. It feels like it’s been both a month long and stretching out for centuries. Still, I can’t complain too much, I’ve been lucky. And I know I’ve said this every year for the last few years, but this has truly been an amazing year for my writing career. I got stories accepted by magazines that I’ve been trying to break into for a decade. I finished some very difficult pieces and did some tie-in writing for Magic the Gathering. Also, I won a Nebula!

So, yeah, no complaints.

I had two stories come out this year – a novelette and short story. I’d be thrilled if you checked them out. They both have audio versions too.

“Burn or the Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super”

  • Uncanny Magazine Issue 33, May/June 2020 -9,000 words.
  • Audio link

“One Time, A Reluctant Traveler”

  • Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue #166, July 2020 – 5,800 words
  • Audio link

That’s what I got this year! But I’m always looking for recommendations. What have you read this year that you’ve enjoyed?

“One Time, A Reluctant Traveler” Out Now at Clarkesworld!

On By A. T. GreenblattIn Publishing UpdatesLeave a comment

Hello all! I’m excited to announce that I have a new story out. It’s called “One Time, A Reluctant Traveler” published in Clarkesworld Magazine!

This is a story I wrote during the pandemic and consequently, it was a difficult story to write. Partly because global catastrophes tend to atrophy your creativity. Partly because it’s a story about depression and the cyclical and generational nature of it.

But it also includes things which I had so much fun writing, like a sarcastic park ranger robot and stories within stories. It’s been years since I’ve ridden a bike outside, but I had a great time reimagining what that would feel like in a strange landscape.

In terms of music, a weird thing has been happening to me lately. When I write, I usually find one or two songs that act as a soundtrack to the story, then I listen to them on repeat. That hasn’t been the case lately. Instead I’ve been listening to playlists or entire albums. But I think of all the songs I listened to while writing this, Jordan Klassen’s Virtuous Circle and Surprised/Not Surprised are the two songs I associate most with this piece.

As always, I hope you enjoy the story. And more importantly, I hope you are staying safe and healthy.

“Give the Family My Love” Wins a Nebula Award!

On By A. T. GreenblattIn Publishing Updates3 Comments

So, this happened. “Give The Family My Love” published in Clarkesworld Magazine won the Nebula award for Best Short Story last night. Honestly, I’m still completely stunned and I would love to say something profound here, but I’m really, really tired tonight.

So I figured I’ll transcribed my acceptance speech here instead

But before I do that, if you like to see the awards ceremony you can watch it in its entirety here. If you only want to see the short story category and my speech, skip to the 34:30 minute mark.

Here’s the speech:

Um, so, wow. This is a shock and surprise. Thank you all so, so much for this amazing honor. It is truly a dream come true. Writing is a lonely process, but nothing is created alone.

So, I’d like to thank Neil Clarke for taking a chance on this story and to Kate Baker for her amazing narration. Thank you to my fabulous critique group who saw a half finished draft of this story several years ago and understood what I was trying to do.

Thank you to all my friends, online and in-person, who have been my consistent support network. And thank you to my family who have always been supportive and encouraging through the ups and downs in my career. Who don’t mind that I disappear for hours on the weekends to write. I love you very much.

Finally, thank you to all the readers who believed in this story. These are truly terrifying times where tomorrow is not necessarily guaranteed. But being human means we’re complicated creatures with complicated emotions and opposable thumbs. Which means we can hold our fear and our dread in one hand and our hope in the other.

And I hope you hold tight to that hope, that desire to make good art and make the world a bit better, even when things look bleak.

Especially when things look bleak.

Thank you so much.

Here’s a list of all the winners.

“Give the Family My Love” Finalist for Nebula Award

On By A. T. GreenblattIn General Ramblings, Publishing Updates2 Comments

I’m beyond excited to announce that my short story “Give the Family My Love“, which was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, is a finalist for the 2019 Nebula Award!

If you’re wondering what the Nebula Awards are, they’re like the Oscars for science fiction and fantasy writers. Members of Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) nominate works in several categories and vote on the final ballot. There’s an awards ceremony and everything. Here’s the full list of nominees.

The winners will be announced on May 30th, 2020.

I’m so honored to have this story listed among such good writers and their amazing work.

Year End Eligibility Post 2019

On By A. T. GreenblattIn General Ramblings1 Comment

It’s that time of year again where writers and readers start looking back at what’s been published in the last 12 months. I think I say this every year, but I really mean it this time: 2019 was an INCREDIBLE year for me in terms of publishing. I had 6 short stories come out in professional markets and my first nonfiction essay, as well as a handful of reprints.

Here’s the list. Some stories have an audio version too. They can be found at the link.

THE FICTION STUFF

Give the Family My Love – Clarkesworld Magazine (with an audio version) – 5,300 words

I’m beginning to regret my life choices, Saul. Also, hello from the edge of the galaxy.

Before the World Crumbles Away – Uncanny Magazine – 6,000 words

The lakeside painter is lying, but no one seems to care.

It’s a beautiful lie, even Elodie will admit that. There are two lovers on the pier with the painter, sitting for their portrait, and she’s honest about the way the light of the setting sun catches their hair, the way the breeze ripples their clothes, how they lean into each other. She gets so many details right that even Elodie doesn’t notice what’s missing at first.

On the Other Side of the Line – Fireside Magazine (with an audio version)- 1,700 words

My dog is longing for something just out of reach.

Move Forward, Disappear, Transcend – Clarkesworld Magazine (with an audio version) – 2,400 words

I lost my favorite fingers as I was walking to the library. Spotting it first from the corner of my eye, I glanced down. A gasp seized up in my throat. Instead of the long, beautiful, expertly manicured prosthetics that Sonya made me, there were ten empty nubs. And the grief I’d been carrying these last few months grew heavier

Team Work – Fireside Magazine (with an audio version available) – 1,000 words.

I was never an amazing Super. I only joined the team because I wanted to be with people like me. I never thought I’d, you know, try to save anyone.

The Gods of Empty Places -Pantheon Magazine – 1,500 words

Jamie was the first of us to give a piece of herself to the gods of empty places. She started by trimming the tip of her left ring finger.

THE NONFICTION STUFF

How to Send Your Disabled Protagonist on an Adventure in 7 Easy Steps – Uncanny Magazine 1,200 words

And that’s the list! I’m always looking for recommendations. What have you read this year that you enjoyed?

Stories Published in 2019 (So Far)

On By A. T. GreenblattIn Publishing Updates2 Comments

2019, so far, has been a good year for me in terms of writing. Like an extremely good year. Like, I haven’t been doing a proper job of talking about which stories have come out, which ones have audio links, what’s been reprinted, etc.

So, this is a post to recap what’s out and what’s coming out soon!

Online Publications:

Stories in Anthologies:

  • The Gods of Empty Places – Pantheon Magazine – February 15, 2019
  • Forthcoming: “Heavy Lifting” – Best Science Fiction of the Year Vol. 4 – July, 2019 (preorder here)
  • Forthcoming: “And Yet” – The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2019 – September 2019 (preorder here)

Podcasted Stories:

Seriously though, I’m still stunned by this list.

Happy reading!

“Move Forward, Disappear, Transcend” Now Live at Clarkesworld!

On By A. T. GreenblattIn Publishing UpdatesLeave a comment

I’m a few days late in posting this, but I have a new story out! “Move Forward, Disappear, Transcend” is now available for your reading pleasure over at Clarkesworld Magazine!

With every story I write, I always try to do something that I haven’t tried before. With this piece, that meant writing a story from the point of view of a much older protagonist than myself. It took me a few drafts to get right.

My soundtrack for this story was Empiricist by Typhoon. (Their whole album “Offerings” is great though, I highly recommend.)

If you like this story or any other story Clarkesworld has published, please consider supporting them.

Happy reading!

“Give the Family My Love” Live at Clarkesworld Magazine!

On By A. T. GreenblattIn Publishing UpdatesLeave a comment

I’m thrilled to announce that my story “Give the Family My Love” is now free to read over at Clarkesworld Magazine! In a few weeks, it will also be narrated by Kate Baker and on the Clarkesworld podcast. I’ll post a link when that’s available.

This is my first story to appear in Clarkesworld and it took me years to write. For a long time, I didn’t quite have the skills to tell it and frankly, the future Earth in this story is based on climate change research, and it terrifies me.

I don’t remember what I was listening to when I was working on the first draft of this story (it was that long ago), but for later drafts is was Florence + The Machine’s Big God on repeat.

Hope you enjoy the story!

Story Live at Podcastle and New Story Sale

On By A. T. GreenblattIn Publishing UpdatesLeave a comment

Brr, it’s cold out there. Actually, I shouldn’t be complaining because from where I sit, it’s only freezing and not the extreme subzero temperatures that other parts of the country are dealing with today. But it’s an excuse to stay inside and write a blog post.

Well, actually my reason for writing this is that I have more writing news.

First, in my previous post, I mentioned that Podcastle – the fantasy fiction podcast – was going to be narrating my story “A Place to Grow”. That podcast is now live and you can listen to it here! They did a fantastic job with the story!

My second piece of news is that I had another story accepted by Clarkesworld Magazine! (Yes, two acceptances in a month. Yes, I’m still stunned.) It’s called “Give the Family My Love” and I believe it’s coming out very soon. I’ll do my customary companion post here when the story is published and available to read online.

Honestly, I feel incredibly lucky that I’ve had so much good news in the last few weeks.

That’s all for now. For those of you in winter climates, stay warm. For those of you who aren’t, enjoy the sun for us.