Author: Marion Deeds

A word for Wednesday: Mopsical (adjective), meaning  mopey, spoiled or petulant. The word may have literally meant “mopey-eyed” (or shortsighted) originally.

Books and Writing:

Mary Robinette Kowal announced she is running for SWFA President. Here is her announcement and her platform. John Scalzi has already written a ringing endorsement.

Jonathan Swift said he wished to “vex the world, rather than divert it,” with his 1726 satire Gulliver’s Travels. He succeeded in his day, and in today’s world, he apparently vexed a few scientists,

Awards:

Nnedi Okorafor was named 2018’s Person of the Year by the Society for Africans in Diaspora. Thanks to File 770.

Books and Writing:

The anthology Unfettered III directs the proceeds to writers needing health care. File 770’s article talks about the history of great stories for a good cause.

On The Mary Sue, Princess Weekes talks about Riri Williams, whose superhero name is Ironheart. She was a new one for me.

This will be the final column of 2018. A safe and happy New Year’s Day to everyone who observes it.

Books and Writing:

Academy Award winner Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions is accepting screenplay submissions.

In the solving-the-problem-we-didn’t-know-we-had category, Tor.com offers an essay on how to make beer on a generation ship.

Sarah Gailey writes about seven books that helped her make it through a hard year. What I liked about this essay is that she tells us when and where she read each book.

A Joyous Hanukkah to all those who observe.

Conventions:

In addition to electing new officers Arisia has banned some people and restricted the involvement of others, in the wake of the report of their mishandling of a sexual assault complaint.

Scotland, known already for its Fringe Festival, will hold its first speculative fiction/horror fiction literary festival.

Afua Richardson will be a featured artist at WorldCon in Dublin, Ireland in 2019.

Various Controversies:

I mean,