Publisher Vera Nazarian announces that Norilana Books is now working on the third volume of their annual anthology series, Warrior Wisewoman. Editor Roby James is again helming the volume of “science fiction featuring powerful and remarkable women,” and is now reading submissions. Payment is two cents per word; stories must be shorter than 10,000 words; and the deadline is 15 January 2010.
Nazarian says “The anthology was conceived as a sister volume to the classic Sword and Sorceress fantasy series originally edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, with the main difference being that the story themes will involve science fiction instead of fantasy, and they will be intended for a more mature audience, allowing a mixture of serious contemporary issues and reasonable sexual content (but no erotica) in addition to action and adventure. The stories will have a stronger focus on the interface between scientific exploration and our sense of wonder.”
James says “I am looking for stories that shed light on the truth of what it means to be female, that illuminate the wisdom and the strength of a woman, but not in cliché ‘goddess’ stories. I love action and adventure, grand space opera, thrilling discovery, and intelligent protagonists. Make the story thoughtful, wise, and surprising, not merely the same old metal spaceship hull filled with cardboard military uniforms with female names ‘barking’ orders and firing at aliens. In addition, the stories in the anthology should appeal to genuine emotions, suspense, fear, sorrow, delight, wonder. The science can be part of the background and the characters foremost, or the science can be central to the story, as long as the characters are realistic and appealing. It is strongly recommended you read the previous volumes to get an idea of what kind of material we’re looking for.
“This is science fiction, but I also welcome stories of spiritual exploration, looking at the bond between the scientific and the divine. I want to see how a woman survives tragedy and disaster, overcomes impossible odds, achieves her true potential, or goes on to thrive in a marvelous universe of so many possibilities, using what is inside her, as well as what she finds in the laboratory, the alien planet, or space itself.
“The stories should contain the question of ‘what if’ on some level. And they should have a woman answer it.”
Full guidelines and the submission address are available on this page.
Related articles previously published on SFScope:
Roby James reading for Warrior Wisewoman 2 (18 July 2008)
Warrior Wisewoman tells sf stories of powerful women (12 June 2008)
Roby James reading for Warrior Wisewoman for Norilana (16 October 2007)