I’m pleased to announce that I had a couple of stories and several articles published in 2021:

• The Next Frontier: an alternate-history novelette about the 1960s space race in the July/August issue of Analog (link is to current issue, not previous one)

• The Holy Wars of Mathematics: A Secret History of the Calculus of Chicanery appeared in 99 Tiny Terrors. It’s my first published flash fiction (under 1000 words).

• Monumental Thinking was in the January/February 2021 issue of Analog, is my take on suitable replacements for statues being torn down these days. (Link is to current issue, not previous one)

• Astounding Analog Companion: Q & A in which I talk about writing alternate history

• My first SFWA blog post: Reasons to Publicize Your Award-Eligible Works

My Virtual Appearances:

• World Fantasy Convention panel on dreams and nightmares in fantasy and horror

• Go Indie Now panel on alternate history

• Go Indie Now panel on writing short stories

Most Enjoyable New Novels I Read:

• Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Garcia Moreno

• Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

• Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

• The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Most Unexpected Pleasure:

• Being solicited for a hot new anthology to be assembled next year. I can’t tell you or they’d have to shoot me. (Wait…is this how that sentence is supposed to end?)

Best Trip:

• June excursion to the Big Island of Hawaii in June. Have a look at some of my photos from it.
• August runner-up: time spent at a lake in the Adirondacks

Best Educational Opportunities:

• Virtual Humans to Mars conference: three days of inspiring, uplifting presentations by remarkably clever humans from all over the world. You can attend in 2022 and find out how these people from around the globe are making future trips to Mars a real thing!
• Close Runner-up: The Rambo Academy classes for writers at all skill levels featuring many different aspects of our craft. They even have gift certificates if you are stumped by what to give the writer in your life.

Best Pandemic Antidote:

• Occasional flower deliveries for creating beautiful arrangements via ReVased.com. Have a look at some of my creations here and on Instagram.

Most Fun New Series:

• Tie: WandaVison, For All Mankind (season 2)

Guilty Pleasure:

• Bridgerton

Things to come in 2022: Watch this space for new announcements:

• Etruscan Afterlife is a short story appearing next year in The Reinvented Heart, edited by Cat Rambo and Jenn Brozek (preorder now!)
• Branching out into two new projects I can’t disclose yet!
• Moar dinosaurs!

What were some of your favorites in 2021?