My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in September: Free Fantasy & SciFi.Seventy science fiction and fantasy books, available at no cost.For a chance to live, would you leave everything you know behind?Get your FREE copy of If I Go!Home with his overwrought older sister as a deadly flu pandemic sweeps the globe, sixteen-year-old Daniel is scared and out of his depth. Unable to reach his parents, his only source of comfort as the world falls apart are his faithful pets. When a chance to escape the flu is dangled before him, Daniel is confronted with an agonizing choice that will change his life forever.On September 10, I had the honor of watching a live virtual lecture by Samuel R. Delany, presented by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC.)Hosted by SAIC assistant professor Dr. Kirin Wachter-Grene, the conversation with Delany ran for over an hour-and-a-half. Most of the discussion focused on his background growing up as a dyslexic, gay, black man in New York City, including references to multiple books in which he delves into this history.Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Of particular interest to sf readers, however, is the answer to a question about what science fiction authors Delany himself reads. It surprised me to learn Delany has never read much science fiction, and still doesn’t do so today. But regarding those authors whom even he finds compelling, he recommended two—Joanna Russ and Ted Sturgeon.Born in 1918, Hugo and Nebula award-winner Sturgeon published his first science fiction story in 1939 and continued writing for over four decades. Of his theme, he said, “I think what I have been trying to do all these years is to investigate this matter of love, sexual and asexual.” This may well be the attraction for Delany, who has written so much on the subject of sex himself.Feminist and Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award-winning author Russ was born in 1937. Raised, like Delany, in New York City, she published her first short story in 1955. In the SAIC lecture, Delany discussed how he and Russ carried on a long correspondence, currently being compiled for publication as a three volume series. Given Delany’s first-hand experience of racism, and Russ’ first-hand experience of sexism, it’s understandable why they might have had quite a lot to share with one another.Delany is the subject of the third annual Sturgeon Symposium, hosted by the Gunn Center for Science Fiction at the University of Kansas from October 24-25. He plans to attend.Club Codex is reading and discussing The Hieros Gamos of Sam and An Smith through the end of September.Follow along with my thoughts on this novel and contribute your own in the following thread:Click here for more details about Club Codex in 2024. Please join us!My latest novelette, “Long Night On the Endless City,” appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 26: Tomorrow’s Crimes:On the vast ring habitat Ouroboros, Jel and her synthetic companion Marcus search for Arja, the third member of their triad. This quest leads them to a cryptic technology cult with questionable motives. When they suffer a vicious attack, Marcus and Jel join forces with one of Ouroboros’most renowned computer and robotics experts to get to the bottom of the mystery.This thought-provoking sf tale explores artificial intelligence, religion, and the ties that bind families together in a fast-paced story full of action, intrigue, and heart.Questions or comments? Please share your thoughts! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecosmiccodex.com
