Saying Farewell to 2022
As one year ends, the mists of the future open. With so much uncertainty in the world, now is the time to breathe deep, hold on to those we love, and step into the future with compassion.
Well dear friends, the end of 2022 is nigh. My next Newsletter is due on the first day of 2023.
Doesn’t it seem a bit crazy how science fiction stories from not that long ago were frequently set in the time we’re in now? We’re living in the future, folks, and it turns out that the future looks a lot more like the present than we expect when peering into the mists of the great “Yet To Be.”
I’ve had an incredible year, and I want to list out some of the highlights as I wrap up my final newsletter of the year. I’ll also share the few things I’ve published the last week (it’s been scant due to the holidays!).
I married my love, Katie, a woman I’m so incredibly lucky to have met. We threw an incredible wedding that our families and friends attended, and it felt like we were transported into some wonderful Tolkien-esque alternate reality. I never could have imagined something so good. I am so happy.
I started an exciting internship with the national non-profit EveryLibrary, fighting for libraries and free speech.
I got accepted into a publishing Master’s program in Edinburgh, Scotland (which I then turned down, largely due to how crazy the world is at the moment). Technically, this was half last year and half this, but whatever, ha.
I continued to survive a global pandemic, and am so grateful that those I love have also made it through safe, though sometimes weary and haggard. (The pandemic is not over, btw. Please, wear your masks and get vaccinated).
I got accepted into a Master’s of Library and Information Science program (which starts the end of next month).
We were very social! We made new dear friends and hosted several wonderful parties, including an outdoor mystery party for Halloween, and a Yule Cookie Exchange.
I completed a short science fiction novella and made progress on my larger projects.
I was a guest on the great Speculative Fiction Podcast hosted by Vickie Lan where I talked about fantastic maps and geography.
My short fiction got published in various places, like BirdHouse, Bewildering Stories, and The Great Void Books.
I also was solicited to write a guest article for Analog Science Fiction and Fact’s Guest Reference Library (Q1 2022). I also started writing book review articles for The Strand magazine (yes, the one that published Sherlock Holmes back in the day).
Katie and I literally moved, in the middle of the school year.
Round Table Writers, the organization I co-founded, continued to grow, and we released the second season of our podcast: Round Table Radio (produced and hosted by me!), which focused on interviews with authors from across the literary sphere.
I attended the Surrey International Writer’s Conference, which is literally just the sweetest group of supportive people I’ve ever met. It was also my first visit to Canada, and that was a treat.
I was on a panel at the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts! There, I presented my article “Found Families and the Post-Atomic Future” (which explored how the found-family trope in fiction supports real found families in the world - especially within marginalized groups - by using the lens of anarchist philosophy). I’m currently looking into publishing this piece.
I used my epic carpentry skills to build our own Christmas tree stand because the base of the tree was super crooked. So proud of this one. :D
And those are just a few of the things I did… it’s been a packed year!
In 2023, I hope to see many more exciting things, and do more that fulfills me. I hope to bring goodness into the world, and into my own heart. I hope that wars end, and that no more wars start. And I hope that people begin to recognize everywhere that compassion, forgiveness, and mutual aid are the sole keys to our survival as a species.
I also hope to relax… (while I undertake a jam-packed full-time MLIS degree and try to find a well-paying library job? Ha!). But, fulfillment? Yes? Maybe even some fun.
What do you hope your 2023 will look like? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, I love to read your stories.
Writing
This week, my writing was pretty slim due to the holidays. I don’t expect to do a ton next week, either, but we shall see!
Reviews
Book Review - A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert: Jane Hunter is a retiring professional librarian and archivist, pushed out of her career path by a younger crowd and tough economic times. Divorced from her abusive husband, and with her grown actress daughter touring the world, Jane takes a job curating a rare collection of mystery novels at a private estate. The job seems like the perfect place to land and figure out her next steps in life… until her new employer becomes embroiled in the center of a startling murder.
Microfiction
The Sad Life of Jeremy Day She is currently screaming obscenities at him while police shove her into the back of their squad car.
An Advanced Course in Practical History The librarian smiled. “That’s the book you need, no doubt.”
A Perishable Date “Don’t go out with him!” A woman had appeared, suddenly, right next to the check-out counter.
Articles
20 Low-Budget Films That Became Cult Classics 20 low-budget cult films that are actually masterpieces.
The World Wide Web
Mozilla (the company behind the famed Firefox web browser) is hosting a Mastodon instance! Some just see this as more corporate encroachment on the federated network, but I hope this can be a good thing.
Men made up the whole “women are witches” thing because… women were making better beer. No, seriously. “Women used to dominate the beer industry – until the witch accusations started pouring in” explains it all.
One of my favorite authors is Terry Pratchett, and his “Hogfather” book, ( a satirical stab at the holidays), is one of the best. This comic is beautiful, and from that book.
Here’s a little piece of reality for you, in another comicbook form! Have some laughs at the state of society! Hurrah!
Low-Income Neighborhoods pay more for their Internet access than wealthy neighborhoods! An important study sheds light on a huge issue.
Life
A lot of my week was holiday stuff, so I’ll just share that in picture form. <3
And that’s it! Happiest holidays, everyone. I’ll see you next year!
Sorry I was planning on turning your civilization into an irradiated crater. I have reconsidered my position and I realize it would have been more profitable to subjugate them through capitalism.
Have you thought of creating your own board game that uses competing economic theories?
Hey Odin,
I've been reaching out for years now, but think I keep missing you as you jump platforms :) I'm so glad to see how your life has progressed. I just wanted to congratulate you on it all. I hope you see this and know your friendship was important to me. I'm so proud of you.
Mel (Red)