“Baby” may be a bit misleading, given that my first story publication was 14 years ago, but it’s also accurate because, in that entire time, this is the first year where it’s genuinely felt worth putting one of these together! Remember that you can be a mewling, helpless infant at any age. Inspirational!
For those of you nominating and/or voting on any applicable awards for the 2021 calendar year, allow me to draw your attention to the following list of short stories, all of which were published this year. For identity-related awards and categories, I’ll add that I’m a queer, Jewish, and disabled author; for geography-related ones, I live in Arvada, Colorado. All of these were published in the US unless otherwise noted.
– “Man vs. Bomb” in Fantasy Magazine. Categories: Horror, Fantasy, Eco-Fiction
– “As I Wait for the Killing Blow” in Fireside Fiction. Categories: Horror, Fantasy
– “The Gnome” in Sinking City. Categories: Literary Fiction, Fantasy, Fairy Tales
– “Objects at Rest” in Valparaiso Fiction Review. Categories: Literary Fiction, Surrealism
– “The Apology” in Shoreline of Infinity. Categories: Science Fiction, Eco-Fiction, Literary Fiction. Published in Scotland. This story is paywalled, but you may contact me for a copy if you are unable to buy the magazine.
Regardless of whatever results this does or doesn’t yield, thank you all for your time and attention to my work. It’s incredibly gratifying to see people connecting with these stories, which is a gift I’ve gotten more of this year than probably anytime previous. There’s already a few pieces in the pipeline for 2022, so I’ll see you again in the new year.