Issue:
In this issue:
The May 2020 issue of Locus has interviews with Elizabeth Bear and C.L. Polk. News includes the 2020 Hugo Awards ballot, 1945 Retro Hugos ballot, plans for a virtual Worldcon and SFWA Nebula Conference, Sarah Pinsker’s Philip K. Dick Award win, Akwaeke Emezi’s Otherwise win, layoffs at Macmillan and Tor due to COVID-19, Stoker and Spectrum 27 winners, the Internet Archive controversy, Marlon James’s Bradbury Prize win, ongoing newsstand disruptions, and more. Awards season news also covers Kitschies winners and Prometheus and Aurealis finalists, among others. Derek Künsken reports on the Chinese New Year SF Gala. The column by Cory Doctorow is entitled “Rules for Writers”. Obituaries remember Merv Binns, Tim White, Keith Ferrell, Paul K. Alkon, Tom Barber, Juan Giménez, and Nelson Leirner. Reviews cover new titles by Jeffrey Ford, Michael Swanwick, Lesley Wheeler, Ann VanderMeer (ed.), David Ritter & Daniel Ritter, Neal Asher, Angela Slatter, Lisa L. Hannett, Kate A. Hardy, Robert Shearman, Grady Hendrix, Catherine Lacey, Hilary Leichter, Julian K. Jarboe, Tochi Onyebuchi, M.R. Carey, Adam Silvera, Sarah Gailey, Andrea Tang, Daniel José Older, and others.
Table of Contents:
May 2020 • Issue 712 • Vol. 84 • No. 5
53rd Year of Publication • 30-Time Hugo Winner
Cover and Interview Designs by Stephen H. Segal
INTERVIEWS
Elizabeth Bear: Everyone’s Utopia Is Someone’s Dystopia / 12
C.L. Polk: The World Turned Upside Down / 26
MAIN STORIES / 6
2020 Hugo Awards Ballot • 1945 Retro Hugos Ballot • Virtual Worldcon • Virtual SFWA Nebula Conference • Pinsker Wins PKD Award • Emezi Wins Otherwise • Stoker Awards Winners • Layoffs at Macmillan and Tor • Spectrum 27 Awards Winners • Internet Archive Controversy
THE DATA FILE / 9
James Wins Bradbury Prize • Kitschies Winners • Newsstand Disruptions • Pandemic Help • Bookstore News • SFWA News • Prometheus Award Finalists • Aurealis Awards Finalists • Awards News • World Conventions News • More COVID Cancellations • Publishing News • ICFA News • LSC Bankruptcy • Free Reads • Workshop News • Us in Flux • Announcements • Financial News • International Rights
PEOPLE & PUBLISHING / 10
Notes on milestones, awards, books sold, etc., with news this issue about Aydrea Walden, Richard Powers, Arkady Martine, Christopher Barzak, Laurell K. Hamilton, Veronica Roth, and many others
COMMENTARY / 24
Cory Doctorow: Rules for Writers
INTERNATIONAL / 25
Chinese New Year SF Gala by Derek Künsken
LISTINGS
Magazines Received: March / 30 Books Received: March / 31 British Books Received: February / 40 Bestsellers / 42
OBITUARIES / 53
Merv Binns • Tim White • Keith Ferrell • Paul K. Alkon • Tom Barber • Juan Giménez • Nelson Leirner
EDITORIAL MATTERS / 54
The New New Normal • Locus Awards • Funding
LOCUS LOOKS AT BOOKS
Short Fiction Reviews by Rich Horton / 14
F&SF 5-6/20; Interzone 3-4/20; Galaxy’s Edge 3/20; Bourbon Penn, 3/20; The New Yorker 3/16/20; Prosper’s Demon, K.J. Parker; Truer Love and Other Lies, Edd Vick; Avatars Inc, Ann VanderMeer, ed.
Short Fiction Reviews by Karen Burnham / 15
Beneath Ceaseless Skies 2/27/20, 3/12/20; Clarkesworld 3/20; Tor.com 2/26/20; Lightspeed 3/20; Kaleidotrope Winter 2020; Giganotosaurus 3/20.
Reviews by Gary K. Wolfe / 16
Out of Body, Jeffrey Ford; The Postutopian Adventures of Darger and Surplus, Michael Swanwick; Unbecoming, Lesley Wheeler; Avatars Inc, Ann VanderMeer, ed.; The Visual History of Science Fiction Fandom, Volume One: The 1930s, David Ritter & Daniel Ritter.
Reviews by Russell Letson / 18
The Human, Neal Asher.
Reviews by Paula Guran / 19
The Heart Is a Mirror for Sinners and Other Stories, Angela Slatter; Songs for Dark Seasons: Stories, Lisa L. Hannett; Londonia, Kate A. Hardy.
Reviews by Ian Mond / 20
We All Hear Stories in the Dark, Robert Shearman; The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, Grady Hendrix; Pew, Catherine Lacey; Temporary, Hilary Leichter.
Reviews by Katharine Coldiron / 22
Everyone on the Moon Is Essential Personnel, Julian K. Jarboe; Riot Baby, Tochi Onyebuchi; The Book of Koli, M.R. Carey.
Reviews by Colleen Mondor / 23
Infinity Son, Adam Silvera; When We Were Magic, Sarah Gailey; Rebelwing, Andrea Tang; Shadowshaper Legacy, Daniel José Older.
Terry Bisson: This Month in History / 14, 17, 21, 23
Magazines reviewed in this issue (indicating reviewer)—
Beneath Ceaseless Skies 2/27/20 (Karen Burnham)
Beneath Ceaseless Skies 3/12/20 (Karen Burnham)
Bourbon Penn, 3/20 (Rich Horton)
Clarkesworld 3/20 (Karen Burnham)
F&SF 5-6/20 (Rich Horton)
Galaxy’s Edge 3/20 (Rich Horton)
Giganotosaurus 3/20 (Karen Burnham)
Interzone 3-4/20 (Rich Horton)
Kaleidotrope Winter 2020 (Karen Burnham)
Lightspeed 3/20 (Karen Burnham)
The New Yorker 3/16/20 (Rich Horton)
Tor.com 2/26/20 (Karen Burnham)
Books reviewed in this issue (indicating reviewer)—
Asher, Neal • The Human (Russell Letson)
Carey, M. R. • The Book of Koli (Katharine Coldiron)
Ford, Jeffrey • Out of Body (Gary K. Wolfe)
Gailey, Sarah • When We Were Magic (Colleen Mondor)
Hannett, Lisa L. • Songs for Dark Seasons: Stories (Paula Guran)
Hardy, Kate A. • Londonia (Paula Guran)
Hendrix, Grady • The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires (Ian Mond)
Jarboe, Julian K. • Everyone on the Moon Is Essential Personnel (Katharine Coldiron)
Lacey, Catherine • Pew (Ian Mond)
Leichter, Hilary • Temporary (Ian Mond)
Older, Daniel José • Shadowshaper Legacy (Colleen Mondor)
Onyebuchi, Tochi • Riot Baby (Katharine Coldiron)
Parker, K.J. • Prosper’s Demon (Rich Horton)
Ritter, David, & Daniel Ritter • The Visual History of Science Fiction Fandom, Volume One: The 1930s (Gary K. Wolfe)
Shearman, Robert • We All Hear Stories in the Dark (Ian Mond)
Silvera, Adam • Infinity Son (Colleen Mondor)
Slatter, Angela • The Heart Is a Mirror for Sinners and Other Stories (Paula Guran)
Swanwick, Michael • The Postutopian Adventures of Darger and Surplus (Gary K. Wolfe)
Tang, Andrea • Rebelwing (Colleen Mondor)
VanderMeer, Ann, ed. • Avatars Inc. (Gary K. Wolfe)
VanderMeer, Ann, ed. • Avatars Inc. (Rich Horton)
Vick, Ed • Truer Love and Other Lies (Rich Horton)
Wheeler, Leslie • Unbecoming (Gary K. Wolfe)
