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SF SF SF Review: Capricious Issue 9 – Gender Diverse Pronouns

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Capricious Issue 9 may have flown under your radar, but it shouldn’t have. Capricious is a speculative fiction magazine based out of New Zealand and edited by A.C. Buchanan, and Issue 9 is a special issue devoted to gender diverse pronouns, including singular they, common neopronouns (such as e/eir/em), and new pronoun sets created by the authors. I like that Buchanan chose the term “gender diverse” rather than “gender neutral,” since some of the stories in this issue feature more than two genders (which is awesome). The issue features a diverse array of genre tropes, and it spotlights two things I desperately want to see more of in SFF: inclusion of nonbinary gender identities, and experimentation and play with pronouns and gender systems. Here are my favorite stories:

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Book Review: American War by Omar El Akkad

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It is approximately half a century in our future. Climate change has altered the coasts of the United States, wiping out much of Florida and Louisiana. Amid these changes, the Second American Civil War breaks out. While the issue of slavery drove the original Civil War, southern state refusal to accept a federal ban on fossil fuels stokes the fires of the second. Yet, the issues are more complex beyond any single cause. Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi form a core of secession, Texas becomes reabsorbed by Mexico, and South Carolina suffers as ground zero in the release of a plague engineered by the North, leaving the state quarantined. Fracturing, the South becomes desperate, fueled by hatred. With an urge to end the last remnants of resistance as quickly as possible, the North retaliates with equal hate and ferocity.

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Book Review: Age of Assassins and Blood of Assassins by RJ Barker

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RJ Barker’s Wounded Kingdoms Trilogy in its first two volumes, Age of Assassins and Blood of Assassins, combines a straightforward western fantasy world with deeper and more intriguing worldbuilding with a flawed and unusual protagonist to good effect. The two novels, together with the forthcoming third, tell a story of an apprentice assassin who slowly emerges into a figure that helps shape the destiny of an entire kingdom.

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

Signal Boost #36 — Sean Grigsby (Smoke Eaters) and Thoraiya Dyer (Titans’ Forest Trilogy)

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https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFSignalBoost36GrigsbyDyer/Sandf–SignalBoost36–GrigsbyDyer.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSIn today’s episode of Signal Boost, Paul talks to Sean Grigsby about his debut novel, Smoke Eaters, which imagines a future world in which firefighters also fight dragons! They discuss how Sean’s fire service career helped inform the novel and why he chose an older protagonist. He also gives us a glimpse into his next book, Daughters of Forgotten Light. Then Elizabeth is joined by the Aurealis and Ditmar Award-winning author Thoraiya Dyer to talk about her Titans’ Forest Trilogy, especially the second book, Echoes of Understorey. They also discuss why she chose a jungle setting, the reason for changing the main POV in each book, the Greek mythological influences, and what her favorite Eucalyptus tree is! We hope you enjoy the episode!

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

349. Gareth L. Powell (a.k.a. The Baron), Embers of War

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https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode349GarethLPowellEmbersOfWar/Sandf–Episode349–GarethLPowellEmbersOfWar.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSSpy vs. Spy, sentient ships, and Star Wars, oh my! Gareth Powell joins Becca and Paul to discuss his newest novel, Embers of War! They discuss why Gareth switched gears to Space Opera, how the Titanic inspired the rescue organization that plays a prominent role in the novel, everyone’s favorite characters, how Embers of War (and science fiction in general) endeavors to inspire a readers’ imagination, and so much more! We hope you enjoy the episode!

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Book Review: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

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Tomi Adeyemi brings to life a world where Afrofuturism meets Avatar: The Last Airbender in her stunning debut novel Children of Blood and Bone. This epic fantasy is told in first person from the perspective of three main characters: Zelie, a young Diviner with magic dormant in her blood; Amari, a timid princess who escapes the palace with a priceless treasure; and Inan, Amari’s brother, sent by the tyrannical king to hunt down the girls. Gradually, the three of them learn the truth of the world and must decide whether to work together to shape the future of Orisha.

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