World Weaver Press – ojcade.com

I have a new story out! And unlike my last two, this one’s not horror. It’s actually optimistic for once, but that’s what tends to happen when you write solarpunk. It’s an area I’m interested in doing more work in, as I like the focus on community, diversity, and sustainability that’s generally a hallmark of the genre.

This particular story, “The Streams are Paved with Fish Traps,” can be found in the anthology Multispecies Cities: Solarpunk Urban Futures, from World Weaver Press. The anthology was produced with the support of the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature in Kyoto, Japan, so as you can see there is a strong focus on an interdisciplinary approach here, and that’s something I appreciate.

My own story talks about urban ecology, which is a field that, like solarpunk, I’m becoming increasingly interested in. Back in 2019, I saw a news story out of Wellington, New Zealand, about a discovery some ecologists had made in the storm water systems beneath the city. The pipes were being colonised by fish, including eels, and I thought that was just marvelous. I knew straight away that I wanted to write a story about it, and so when World Weaver Press contacted me, wanting to know if I’d write a story for their upcoming anthology, it was an easy choice. I’m so glad to be a part of this project! Hopefully there’ll be many more like it in the future.

I have a new story out! “The Body Politic” can be found in Recognize Fascism, edited by Crystal M. Huff, from World Weaver Press. Recognize Fascism is a science fiction and fantasy short fiction anthology that does what it says on the tin. Fascism, sad to say, is one of those unfortunate ideologies that never seems to die. It’s always trying to sprout in new and unpleasant forms – and it’s best to be able to discern these as quickly as possible, so you can kick the shit out of them early and save yourself the trouble of doing it when they’ve got an even larger and nastier foothold in civilised society.

Anyway, my story is really more body horror than sci-fi or fantasy, and it’s weird body horror at that. One of the hallmarks of fascism, I think, is its attempts to control the body, particularly in the areas of identity and reproduction. In this little story, then – one of the few flash pieces I’ve ever written – the effects of fascism begin to literally appear on the body, limiting that body’s potential and rendering it weaker than before, and less capable of rebellion.

It’s such a good idea for an anthology, recognizing fascism, and I’m so glad that Crystal and World Weaver Press took a chance on what is really a very experimental piece of work. But it’s not just me – the anthology is positively stuffed with interesting, provocative stories by a number of truly excellent authors. Please take a look.