Great Dangerous Voices!

Leanna Renee Heiber reads; a dalek looks on.

The inaugural Dangerous Voices Variety Hour was this weekend, and I am certain there will be many more. Once we got the definitions clear, “featured author” being quite different than “tortured author” and made sure that the organizers had not, in fact, ordered a dunk tank for the event, we, and the audience, were on our way.

Reading with Leanna Renee Heiber was a blast – she read “Charged,” from the Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells anthology, which was wonderful to hear live. Leanna really knows how to light up a room, you guys. I can’t wait for her new series.

Sarah Pinsker asked tough questions! I got quizzed on food (totally set myself up for that) and didn’t do too badly. In fact, I did well enough that a lucky audience member won a copy of Unidentified Funny Objects 2, the speculative humor anthology that contains a short story of mine.

Michael Underwood provided more questions and prizes, and Leanna defended her fandoms admirably.

And the audience at the Baltimore Science Fiction Society completely rocked. They have a great lineup of events coming up, including the launch party for Daily Science Fiction’s Year 2 Anthology, Not Just Rocketdragons and Robots 2. (I have a story in there too – trying to see if I can get down for the launch!)

I read “A Moment of Gravity, Circumscribed,” the short story published in Impossible Futures that is set in the same world as my novel Bone Arrow. The audience seemed to really like it, and had great questions for me afterwards.

Goofball photo by David Beaudoin

So. I lived in Baltimore for over a decade, and love the city more than I can say. I was lucky that a few friends could come to the reading, and one snapped a photo of me. I quite like it, because I’ve got what looks like one of my grandmother’s smiles on my face, so I know I was happy. Also the podcast mic looks like an old-time radio mic, which is pretty cool. I’ll try and post a photo of my grandmother soon, so you can tell me if I’m off my rocker.

We spent a wonderful night out for dinner with the Dangerous Voices crew and fans, and then visited with family friends. Our way back was blocked by a snowstorm, but we made it in one piece.

All around, a very fun weekend! Thanks again to Michael, Sarah, and BSFS!

Dangerous Voices Hosts Sarah Pinsker and Michael R. Underwood, beneath the BSFS banner.