I’m such a huge fan of Sirens Conference, a fantasy reader-con that has created a beautiful inclusive community over the years. So I jumped at the chance to contribute to this year’s benefit anthology. All proceeds go back to Sirens Conference to fund scholarships for those who might not otherwise be able to participate.
And as soon as I saw the theme–Villains & Vengeance–I knew exactly which story I was going to submit. I wrote “Space Carrion” in 2016, shopping it around to folks who didn’t quite know what to do with it. It satirizes some gold-standard misogynist tropes in classic science fiction. One editor even asked me if the satire was intentional (“If you have to ask…you’ll never know!”).
Suffice it to say no queer people, women, or people from other marginalized communities are fridged in “Space Carrion.” In fact, I like to think of it as my way of avenging all their needless deaths. And for true fans, there’s plenty of space-geekery and fun tech. Because I really do love the genre, even if it hasn’t always loved me.
Here’s a little more, from the jacket copy. “The stories and poems in this collection speak of villains who seek to control or kill, survivors seeking revenge, and good people making hard decisions. Sometimes uncomfortable, often scary, this anthology has contributions across the spectrum of speculative fiction, including fantasy, science fiction, and horror, from ten talented authors who invite you into the worlds they have created.”
Villains & Vengeance: a Sirens Benefit Anthology featuring “Space Carrion” by fantasy author Julie Artz is out now.
