New York City’s two big monthly sf readings are once again coming up.
First up is the New York Review of Science Fiction (NYRSF) Reading Series at the South Street Seaport Museum. On 8 January, the doors will open at 6:30PM for the usual 7 o’clock start time. This month’s readers are Judith Berman and Michael Swanwick.
Judith Berman’s first novel, Bear Daughter, was a finalist for the 2006 Crawford Award. Her short fiction has appeared in Asimov’s, Interzone, Realms of Fantasy, and Black Gate. Her often-cited essay on current trends in the field, “Science Fiction Without the Future,” received the Science Fiction Research Association’s Pioneer Award in 2001. Berman is an anthropologist by training, and has published on myth, translation, and the history of anthropological research in a number of academic journals and books, and her translations of Native American myths and tales have been included in recent collections for the general public. Her Web site is at www.judithberman.net.
Michael Swanwick is one of the most acclaimed science fiction and fantasy writers of his generation. He has received Hugo Awards for short fiction five times in six years. His novel Stations of the Tide won the Nebula Award and was nominated for the Hugo and Arthur C. Clarke Awards. “The Edge of the World” won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award and was nominated for both the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards. “Radio Waves” won the World Fantasy Award. His web site is at www.michaelswanwick.com.
The NYRSF Reading Series takes place the first Tuesday of every month at the South Street Seaport’s Melville Gallery, 213 Water Street. Admission is free, but $5 donations are encouraged to offset costs and buy dinner for the readers. The producer and executive curator is radio producer and talk show host Jim Freund. For more information, see www.hourwolf.com/nyrsf.
The second reading of the month is the Fantastic Fiction at KGB reading series, hosted by Ellen Datlow and Gavin J. Grant. On 16 January they’ll be presenting Marly Youmans and Dan Braum. As always, readings start about 7, but arrive early if you want to get a seat (the bar is kind of small).
Marly Youmans is the author of seven books of fiction and poetry and a multitude of short stories. Her most recent fantasy novel is Ingledove. Her historical novel The Wolf Pit won The Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction. Valorson, a novella set in the California tree-tops and drawing on the legend of Valentine and his wild twin Orson, is forthcoming from P.S. Publishing.
Dan Braum’s fiction has appeared or will soon be appearing in Electric Velocipede, Cemetery Dance, Full Unit Hook Up, Dark Recesses, and Pseudopod.
Fantastic Fiction at KGB is held in the KGB Bar, 85 East 4th Street (just off 2nd Avenue, upstairs) the third Thursday of every month. Mobile Libris is usually present to sell readers’ books. For more information on the location, see www.kgbbar.com; for information on the reading series, see their Yahoo group.