ICYMI: ecocolonialism, (arch)angels are bugs they have 6 limbs, grindsets

‘Ecocolonialism’ is probably redundant as hell considering that the definition has exploitation of resources baked in, but you know what it sounds good in my head so there, and in this case the human element is…lacking.

I’m very happy I finally found a way to work in anything with six limbs is an insect. This story went through a few iterations, but the narrator was always meant to be privileged, and extremely unconscious of that privilege, and the beginning always started in prairie remnant, inspired of course by the real thing, especially that late-summer scent. It was originally a lot more bildsungromany though.

Anyway yes I am objectively bad at posting in any sort of timely fashion, but I have a story in this Chicago horror-themed anthology! 10% of proceeds are donated to the Brave Space Alliance, so do check it out.

And here’s the obligatory picture of said prairie:

landscape photograph showing dry prairie grass, lots of goldenrod gone to seed (fluffy heads), some red-leaved plants in the front and then some trees in red and yellow foliage in the background. a little bit of water and more trees can be seen in the further distance.

The Only Panel I’m Going to This Year is on Being Pigeonholed

I’m going to hang out in Seattle for a week–August 12 through 19th–but honestly haven’t yet decided if I want to get any sort of Worldcon ticket. I started writing up why, but honestly it wasn’t that interesting.

That said, I got roped into helping with ConCurrent (ok, it didn’t take much) and they have a whole-ass panel dedicated to a pet issue of mine in publishing: the BIPOC Author Silo.

Anyway I got super into birds and food so if you’re wondering what I am planning to do the whole time…that and barconning. I have an entire spreadsheet of recommendations and, so far, 3 reservations made.

Please enjoy this great tit I saw near Kelvingrove in Glasgow. I am a mature adult and most certainly did not text all my friends “here’s some dick pics” when I saw a dickcissel last month.

a small bird perched on a branch among leaves. It has a black and white head, yellow belly, and greenish back and blueish wings with stripe.

ICYMI: I’m sorry parasites I’m sorry / Death in the Mouth vol 2

Buy here!

I wrote the first draft of this story in 2019 as I was fantasizing about all the traffic between Yosemite and San Jose just…fucking off, haha.

It originally had a very meta opening, but I ended up sending in to Apex Magazine’s thing where they will crit 250 words of anything and I got the very very helpful advice that you can’t lure people in with something interesting and switch into a whole other thing shortly later. I do this a lot 😭 but anyway, a couple of rewrites later, it’s in the world! (I’m so late omg. I am literally only doing this now because I got to Wu-Tang/RTJ super early.)

I AM SO SO SORRY LITTLE GUYS I LOVE YOU YOU’RE THE BEST (I can’t say more because spoilers but ahhhhh they’re so cool and unfairly maligned ahhhhhhhhh)

Reckoning 9 enters the world

Our beautiful angry child will go live through 2025 here. If you can, please consider ordering a copy or copies, and sharing with friends and family.

The cover art for Reckoning 9, "Open Chest" by Dante Luiz, features a Black woman seen from the lips down, smiling, with long black hair spilling over bare shoulders, wearing a lacy, off-white strapless dress, and using her hands to pull open a gaping hole in her chest from which white flowers emerge. The background is green and brown vertical striped wallpaper.
Stunning cover by Dante Luiz.

Hi Parasocial, I’m Dad

So this year I’ve met three different groups/humans whose work I really admire in the context of like…meet and greets.

This is a very new thing for me! I usually try not to learn anything about the personalities behind the things I like just in case they suck in non-unethical-I am never giving you money again ways.

And my god, I have to say that as much as my “it’s only awkward if you let it be awkward” rule exists…how are you supposed to have a human interaction with someone when the context is literally the thing where you know a lot more about them than they do you 😭 especially given the limited time interaction because I don’t want to be a dick to the more serious fans who, for instance, didn’t think they’d drunkenly hallucinated said meet and greet (yes I have been living my best life this year, thank you for asking).

Anyway if I’ve babbled at you this year please note I am a COOL and FUN person to get drinks and/or forage with. I SWEAR

But yeah I don’t think this will actively be the kind of thing I seek out too often, although I’m certainly not above taking advantage if it does come across my path. 🥲🥲🥲

Anyway I went to bogs in both Ireland and Scotland! I can go on about them so don’t ask unless you want to hear everything I learned at Lullymore!

View of the particularly wet part of the Lullymore bog in Rathnagan, Ireland. Some green plants and purple heather in a partly cloudy blue sky. Yes this is totally typical Irish weather why are you raising an eyebrow at me

Worldcon Glasgow: I am now a food influencer

If you’re ever in Glasgow, go to Roya, and if you’ve gone there because you heard about it during Worldcon, YOU’RE WELCOME

I dunno the next time I will visit this city and I really need this place to be open when that happens

I thought about making a list of all the places I would recommend to eat but I’ve been getting like 5-6 hours of sleep a night (yes, there were pubs. A few too many hotel bars 😩 damn you logistics) and can’t be bothered! Also I am very very behind on slush….

Oh but I did gravitate to the little organic store and I’m very pleased with myself.

Anyway here is a juvenile European robin I saw while meeping my way up Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. (it looks like shit because it’s a photo of my camera screen)

yes I really do write everything on my phone, and you can too! + life updates

I have a blog up at SFWA on writing on my phone–not just, like, the physical process but the mental shifts: https://www.sfwa.org/2024/07/09/phoning-it-in-finding-time-to-write-in-unexpected-places/

Life updates: wood ducklings, Aix continues to be the best genus of duck.

ducklings sitting on driftwood in lake

Contains spoilers for Kiki’s Delivery Service

The whole bit where the one girl is like “oh you’re not feeling magic? Just go do something else and it’ll come back when it’s time.”

I like that bit.

Here is a picture of the “Pyramid of the Moon” at “Teotihuacán” (in quotes because we don’t know the original names).

Pyramid against mountain backdrop under mostly clear blue sky

The Migration of Birds Through the City of Glass is now free to read at DreamForge Anvil

Oh my goodness why did I make the title so long (the answer is that I never quite got over my Gintama phase. Also I should reread that, it’s been years).

Link in image:

image of sky near sunset with futuristic city and birds flying across. title reads "the migration of birds through the city of glass by priya chand" featured in dreamforge anvil issue 15 Mar 2024 - free - read online now - dreamforgemagazine.com

Thanks again to Julia for originally picking up this story and their excellent editorial work, and to Scot for considering it worthy of inclusion in DreamForge Anvil 15!

Original blog here

ICYMI: regrets, cynicism, guilt (not mine, I’m proud of the self-indulgent verb fuckery) now in Clarkesworld

Starting off the year (and tbh, probably finishing the year…I’ve been really into the fat birds lately) with flash in Clarkesworld. Read it here.

Or continue reading if you like rambles:

I had this text file sitting on my computer for ages, title ‘salt bones’ no contents (well, ok, nothing that survived more than a couple days), finally got some use out of it :’)

Er ok I guess that wasn’t a very long ramble haha. I mean, the title covers the rest of what I had to say?? Here, look at this male hooded merganser instead, and then go read all of the January 2024 issue of Clarkesworld.