Archive for 2021

Spec-Fic-Fu: How to Make Aliens and Robots Fight Better

by Andrew Hoe Human martial arts styles are biased: they’re specifically designed to fight other humans. Of course, watching Neo trade Kung Fu blows with Agent Smith is awesome, but perhaps our focus on human fighting systems in sci-fi affects our imagining of alien/robot bodies. Put simply, it makes composing fight scenes easier. By designing […]

Short Stories as an End Goal

by Holly Schofield As a published writer beginning to get some attention, I hear it over and over: How many books have you written?  Are your short stories set in the world of your novel?  When will you advance beyond short stories and level up to a novel?  Don’t you want to be a real […]

Announcing Scholarships and a Store for the 2021 Nebula Conference!

For the first time, SFWA is opening a store for Nebula Conference-related gear and memorabilia. We are excited to offer this chance to stock up on SFWA and Nebula swag while simultaneously supporting our work to advocate for the speculative fiction genres and writers.  Some of that work includes providing Nebula Conference scholarships for underserved […]

SFWA Market Report For April

Welcome to the April edition of the SFWA Market Report. Please note: Inclusion of any market in the report below does not indicate an official endorsement by SFWA. New Markets Africa Risen Blood Knife The Needle Drops… Anthology Series Currently Open Al Blanchard Award Analog Science Fiction & Fact Apex Magazine Asimov’s Science Fiction Beneath […]

A Statement and Plan of Support for the Asian Diaspora Communities

SFWA offers its condolences and support to the Asian diaspora communities, both in the US and worldwide. According to the FBI, the number of anti-Asian hate crimes last year rose by 100% and in many places more. Anti-Asian racism has long been a part of America’s fabric from the Page Act to the Chinese Exclusion […]

How to Write Deaf or Hard of Hearing Characters

by Melanie Ashford Choosing to include characters with disabilities in your speculative fiction is an excellent thing to do, but you’ll need to do your research. A poorly written hard of hearing character will do much more harm than good, and you run the risk of ostracizing a lot of your readership, whether they relate […]

SFWA Hosts the 2021 Nebula Finalist Reception on Saturday, March 20!

  This Saturday, SFWA will hold the Nebula Finalist Reception to honor the 56th Annual Nebula Awards finalists.  The 2021 Nebula Award Finalist Reception Saturday, March 20, 2021 4pm – 8pm Pacific Time The Nebula Finalist Reception is a night of celebration for the finalists and for participants who have already registered to attend the […]

What Communities Can Do

by Aigner Loren Wilson Like many writers, when I first started out writing speculative fiction, I felt lost when it came to who to talk to or where to “hang out” with the other cool kids. I knew there were speculative fiction communities out there, ones that were even open and welcoming to little ol’ […]

In Memoriam: Norton Juster

Author Norton Juster (b.1929) died on March 8.  Juster was working as an architect when he began work on a book on urban planning aimed at children. The book eventually became The Phantom Tollbooth, which has been adapted for the screen and stage. Juster also wrote The Dot and the Line. Other books included Alberic the Wise and […]

Watch the 56th Annual Nebula Awards® Launch on March 15!

On Monday, March 15, at 5:30pm PDT / 8:30pm EDT, SFWA will livestream the announcement naming the finalists for the 56th Annual Nebula Awards®, and all are welcome to watch! The evening will be hosted by SFWA President and SAG-AFTRA performer Mary Robinette Kowal, and will livestream on SFWA’s YouTube and Facebook channels. It will […]