2021. You have already worn out your welcome.

I hoped to write this post with the optimism of a new year spread out before me—before all of us—but that is now forever overshadowed by the unconscionable, premeditated actions of January 6^th; the cascade of failures that preceded them; and the sheer amount of work it will take to claw back our country from the brink. The fact that such a reckoning was inevitable thanks to our craven and in some cases treasonous lawmakers makes it hurt no less. There is no normal to return to. Only the work and a promise we must all make to never let us fall so far again. I hope we are up to the challenge.

My writing has certainly been affected by the last few months, and while I had gained some momentum at the end of last year, I now fear sliding back into days crippled by anxiety and anger that my fellow Americans could be so callous with our collective future. But as I alluded to in a previous post, I’m still here. I’m still writing, even if it’s more of a struggle now than it ever was. That has to count. It must count. And it is up to me to make it so.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though it does feel weird to say that. End of last year I had the opportunity to share all the books and video games that got me through 2020 for Fantasy Book Critic as well as a couple I’m looking forward to this year. Check out the post for my recs in case we need a survival guide for 2021 as well!

I also had the opportunity to do a panel with SF/F giant and SFWA grandmaster Connie Willis celebrating her latest Christmas story “Take a Look at the Five and Ten” published in the Nov/Dec issue of Asimov’s as well as from Subterranean Press. Following her reading, we had a fantastic conversation featuring Willis, her daughter Cordelia, fellow writer Jamie Krakover, as well as Albuquerque-area fans Craig Chrissinger, Jessica Coyle, and Mandy Self. Hope you check it out!

In the meantime, stay healthy, stay strong, and keep an eye on the horizon.