You can skip ahead to 2:18:38 of the four hour stream to see me reading a section of the 900-word (!!!) flash fiction I wrote. It's currently titled, "Poisoned Crossing," but may change once I get a chance to edit it.
Our hosts will be giving every writer (like myself) a prompt of one or more cards from the very spooky deck they and artist Rebecca Huston concocted for their TTRPG "Negocios Infernales." Once every writer has their prompt, we'll set a timer for 30 minutes while they interview Strange Horizons affiliates.
At the end of it all, the writers will share their infernally-inspired works with the stream.
You can register here or learn more about the authors on the Facebook event here. See you then!
My new short story, House of Wolves, is up in the new issue of Kaleidotrope! Please enjoy it, the other stories of the Summer 2021 edition, and this devastating art by Cindy Fan.
In other news, I spoke with book critic Peter Berard at Melendy Avenue Review about a passion of mine that woke up a couple years ago: reading romance fiction. The discussion includes a brief overview of pioneering force in historical romance Georgette Heyer, romance fans as early adapters of ereader technology, the importance of escapism, and, of course, the difference between "closed door" and "open door" romance! (Hint: it's sex.)
It was fun to do. Getting to talk to people about my specific interests is always a delight. Because I largely move in the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre circles, this was a really unique opportunity. Thanks to Peter for asking thoughtful questions and his willingness to engage over different literature!
For the first time, I'll be reading with Strong Women-Strange Worlds! I'm doing a Third Thursday Quick Reads event on Thursday, June 17, at 5:00pm EST. So I recommend a cocktail or pleasant beverage!
Looking at the current line-up, which is subject to change, I'll be reading alongside Elaine Isaak and C.S.E. Cooney (both of whom I have prior reading experience and are lovely people to boot) as well as Ingrid Kallick, Elle Ire, and MB Austin. The emcee will be the eminent Sarah Smith!
Guess what's next weekend? Arisia 2021! And I'm on programming! Which you can see from the vantage point of Zoom!
Here's my schedule:
Hold Your Enthusiasm: Problematic Things - Communities, Panel - 55min - Zoom Room 1, 5:30pm Friday
In recent years, J.K. Rowling made clear her transphobia. This year, The Flash fired its Ralph Dibney, actor Hartley Sawyer, after several racist, mysoginist, and homophobic tweets resurfaced. Knowing that these people and many others have said and will continue to say incredibly problematic and harmful things, can we continue to enjoy their work? Or is everything they’ve ever done cancelled? If we do continue to enjoy these works, how can we do so in a way that doesn’t harm others?
Writing in the Age of COVID - Writing, Panel - 55min - Zoom Room 1, 7:00pm Friday
Speculative fiction writers have imagined all manner of plagues, pandemics, and post-apocalyptic scenarios. Having lived with COVID-19 for the better part of a year, how did speculative fiction writers do? What did they get right and what did they get wrong? This panel will discuss how writers can draw from this collective disaster to make plague fiction more relevant or realistic in the future.
The Octavia Butler future is now - Literature, Panel - 55min - Zoom Room 1, 4:00pm Saturday In her Earthseed series, Octavia Butler gave us a vision of the 2020s that is disturbingly close to our reality, including storms, and droughts brought on by climate change; escapism through addictive pharmaceuticals and games, and perhaps most chillingly a far-right US President backed by extremist evangelical Christians. This panel will review the highlights of these books and discuss the influences on Butler’s writing as well as the influence these novels have had since their publication. Gillian Daniels (m), Bunnificent, Rob Cameron, Andrea Hairston, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert, Sam Schreiber
Go Team Venture! (and close the door behind you) - Media, Panel - 55min - Zoom Room 2, 11:30am Sunday Growing quickly from its start as a spoof of 60s Hanna-Barbera action cartoons, The Venture Bros. built a full universe populated by complex characters with intertwined story arcs that kept us coming back for 7 seasons released over the span of 16 years. Many hearts broke when it was abruptly announced the show was not getting a season 8. Why did we love this show so much, how did it change over the long term, and what might have happened with The Monarch and Dr. Venture next? Gillian Daniels (m), Lyndsay Ely, Eve Leonard, David G. Shaw, Hildy Silverman
Sunday Afternoon Readings 1 - Literature, Reading - 55min - Zoom Room 4, 4:00pm Sunday Join some of Arisia’s wonderful authors, while they read from their own work.
I wrote the short story that was accepted to the collection, "Eyes Like Silver Dollars," some years ago. It was wonderful to edit it under the guidance of Trisha Wooldridge. I spoke about it at length with her as well as fellow writers Lola J. Clemente and Christine Lajewski, and the cover artist, Lynne Hansen, for the Wicked Women panel we recorded for Salem Horror Fest 2020.
Please take a look. It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of this online convention, especially during the isolation of the pandemic.
If that's not enough for you, I did a reading for the fest, as well!
It's actually from the beginning of "Bobbie and Her Father," my other short story published this year.
This story has garnered some delightful praise, which you bet I'm linking here for my own edification:
The father in the thought-provoking “Bobbie and Her Father” by Gillian Daniels is a modern Victor Frankenstein, and Bobbie is his creation. [...] [O]ne is left pondering many of the themes of Mary Wollstonecraft’s original: the consequences of one’s actions, the ramifications of playing god and/or trying to conquer mortality, and the fact that monsters are not born monsters.
The story is by turns heartbreaking and frightening, and while it is not without its death and gore, at its heart, it is a story of monstrous loneliness rather than monstrous rage.
Oh my gosh. THIS STORY. It is a wrenching, horror-ifically funny, and devastating take on Frankenstein, all set in modern-day suburbia, and featuring the regular kinds of people that probably maybe live on any given street. Daniels's story twists and turns through unsettling scifi, to horror and dark comedy, into something that is almost (but only almost) heartwarming.
Thank you. I'm so moved. I was so nervous when The Dark Magazine agreed to publish this story, but I should have realized the audience for it was there and waiting.
The narration is amazing. You should totally check out his channel and the other stories he's read and produced.
Last but far from least, I wrote a piece of theater/teleplay which premiered in October. It's called, "Let Slip the Dogs of RAWR XD" for our Catalyze Open House. It was a crash course in learning how to edit video, too, which was enormous fun.
Sienna is Kitty Drexel, an actress and my editor over at The New England Theatre Geek. Shawn is played by the excellent Joshua Berkowitz-Geller and Baby, the dog, is the esteemed Jenny Gutbezahl.
I absolutely recommend clicking through to find the many Easter eggs my fellow playwrights and I hid throughout. One is a Twine game I made in the basement!
This is all to say, I've been busy and doing my best to take care.
Sarah Smith, a fellow Boston Area writer in CSFW, started a series of weekday teatime readings over Zoom. She has taken some of the readings and put them up on her YouTube channel. Please check her channel for more readings!
I showed up there on Thursday and read two poems. The first is "Persephone Kidnaps Him," published in Liminality Magazine in 2017, and the second is "The Blue Fairy Wakes Her," which is unpublished.
In the coming weeks, I'm sure there will be more readings and projects over digital platforms. The precautions taken to slow the spread of the corona virus have proved both anxiety inducing and fascinating. I mourn the loss of seeing more people in person, but I'm in a time right now where I'm financially secure, can easily work from home, and can give a little extra to The Greater Boston Food Bank as well as The Greater Cleveland Food Bank (hometown, represent). I hope you'll consider giving to similar places.
I intend to keep my anxiety over the quarantine to a minimum.
I'm engaging in guided meditations, journaling, reading, jogging (almost) every day, and, being that I'm a white hipster lady from the U.S., of COURSE I'm doing Yoga with Adriene, the best cult ever.
Perhaps most helpful of all have been the friends I've been able to text, stream, and chat with over the past few days.
Also, the fact I have a lot of free time and accessories for dress-up certainly helps, too. Here, I dress for the job I want, which is being an eccentric recluse whose husband died under mysterious circumstances.
In all seriousness, keeping physical interaction to a minimum and not going out in public sick is absolutely necessary. I hope, wherever you are, you're able to do similarly.
On Saturday, November 2nd at 7pm, come to a series of free plays put on by Catalyze Playwriting Group at the Mosesian Center for the Arts! I've been a member of Catalyze these past couple years and it's been immensely rewarding as an experience.
These short plays include my 10+ minute piece, "Real-Ass Space Explorers." (Yes, that's the title.) The roles will be read by David Olsen and Arianna Smith!
After you see some sweet short plays, you should then go to Flat Earth Theatre's production of Alistair McDowall's X! I'm so grateful to them for giving us this opportunity.
I'll be asking questions and presenting readings with authors Errick Nunnally, Bracken Macleod, and Isabel Yap, all of whom have dabbled in fiction with horrifying elements and all of whom, to my knowledge, are enormously warm and kind.
Many thanks to Andrea Corbin for her continued work running Speculative Boston and making a space for genre writers to share their work and talk about their experiences. You should help spread the word around the Boston area!
WGBH Forum was kind enough to attend and film, so you can enjoy sections of their books and me passing a microphone around while picking my way through questions!
It was enormously fun and I hope I get to do similar again.
