The world will insist on still existing, and so I continue to exist within it. Yet this genderfree giant hasn’t only been enduring, but thriving! I continue to be thrilled at being represented by Jonathan Villegas of Olswanger Literary, not least because he’s kind and conscientious with a in-depth knowledge of the industry. We make for a fantastic fit. And that’s not all, because I’ve been pretty busy over these past couple months.

THE LEAPFROG PRIZE

First of all, I was delighted to be announced the 1st runner-up for the Leapfrog Prize. Not as delighted as if I’d won, of course, but I was close! This is a real honour for me, as Leapfrog Press was established by Marge Piercy, and as those in my personal life surely know, I’m obsessed with her. I’ve lost count of the amount of papers I’ve given on her forward-thinking novel Woman on the Edge of Time, let alone how many times I’ve ranted about it to captive friends. Did I mention you should read Woman on the Edge of Time? Because you should.

Anyway, I feel privileged to have placed second among so many entries. It really feels like an accomplishment, especially when coupled with my being shortlisted for the Bristol Short Story Prize earlier this year…

THE AMBITOPIA ARTICLE

Another thing I’m obsessed with is ambitopia. Let’s face it, dystopia and utopia are based in a stubborn old binary that we need to move beyond. And I’m not the only one who thinks so, as since I first talked about the term it’s continued to inspire people, with artworks, exhibitions, and essays. There’s even been a study examining ambitopia’s impact on attitudes toward climate change. It feels weird that an idea I had provoked a study.

Well, I’ve written another article on the subject, this time for the new magazine, Onlysky. In ‘Ambitopia: How to face an uncertain future’ I talk about the importance of maintaining an ambitopian mindset in dealing with our rapidly-changing world.

“We do not live in a world of binary choices, and we never will. Things won’t get worse before they get better—they will get worse and they will get better. And that’s something we need to get used to. Because the world of the future won’t be a utopia or a dystopia. It will be an ambitopia.”

Thanks to Onlysky for choosing to publish the piece. It’s a really exciting magazine, and I’m looking forward to seeing the future-oriented articles they come to host.

THE REVIEW

I’ve written a new review for Strange Horizons! This time I wrote about If the Stars Are Lit by Sara K. Ellis, an indie LGBTQ+ novel with a captivating premise that ultimately let me down a little. Still, I hope to see more from the author, and I won’t spoil the review here by writing too much about it. Hop on over to Strange Horizons to check it out for yourself.

THE PODCAST

That’s not everything from Strange Horizons though, as following the review I was invited onto magazine’s Critical Friends podcast. Joining host Dan Hartland and fellow guest Nileena Sunil, we talked about the nature of novels and novellas – including the choice between depth and breadth, as well as also my own ambitopian novel, Proud Pink Sky.

Dan is a fantastic host and the three of us had a wonderful time chatting together. You can have a listen to the podcast over on the Strange Horizons website, which also includes a written transcript. Simply click the linky right here.

That’s all for this entry, so it’s back to the word mines for me. There’s probably something I forgot to mention as there’s always something I forgot to mention.

Ooh, I have a reading for the Tapwater event at Z-Bar Berlin tonight, so wish me luck! Or if you somehow can’t manage that, then wish me an OK-to-average performance!

Alright, fine. Can you at least wish that I don’t somehow choke to death while still on stage as the audience passively sits and watches, only mildly entertained by my desperate, violet-faced demise?

You never know.

– Redfern