Guest Post by Kevin Saavedra, WWP Intern
World Weaver Press is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, as someone born and raised here myself, I definitely have an affinity for local artists. New Mexico is attractive to people for many reasons, from Roswell being the UFO capital of the world, to being the setting of critically-acclaimed shows like Breaking Bad. Personally, I’m really fond of the art culture around here and how the state seems to have this indescribable pull that draws in so many artists. Beyond that, New Mexicans love celebrating their work--you’ll be hard-pressed to walk through Santa Fe without seeing Georgia O’Keefe mentioned once.
In much the same way that it’s brought in visual artists, New Mexico has hosted its fair share of writers over the years (Cormac McCarthy, D.H. Lawrence, and, of course, George R.R. Martin to name a few). And, when it comes to speculative fiction, the state has no shortage of creatives contributing to the genre. Let’s take a glimpse at a few sci-fi and fantasy authors living in the “Land of Enchantment”:
World Weaver Press is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, as someone born and raised here myself, I definitely have an affinity for local artists. New Mexico is attractive to people for many reasons, from Roswell being the UFO capital of the world, to being the setting of critically-acclaimed shows like Breaking Bad. Personally, I’m really fond of the art culture around here and how the state seems to have this indescribable pull that draws in so many artists. Beyond that, New Mexicans love celebrating their work--you’ll be hard-pressed to walk through Santa Fe without seeing Georgia O’Keefe mentioned once.
In much the same way that it’s brought in visual artists, New Mexico has hosted its fair share of writers over the years (Cormac McCarthy, D.H. Lawrence, and, of course, George R.R. Martin to name a few). And, when it comes to speculative fiction, the state has no shortage of creatives contributing to the genre. Let’s take a glimpse at a few sci-fi and fantasy authors living in the “Land of Enchantment”:
Daniel Abraham was actually born in Albuquerque and attended the University of New Mexico (class of 1996). He is perhaps best known for The Long Price Quartet and his frequent collaborations with George R.R. Martin. You may also know him as M.L.N. Hanover and James S.A. Corey, pen names he uses for his urban fantasy and science fiction, respectively.
Jane Lindskold’s Athanor series is definitely worth checking out if you’re into mythical creatures (merfolk, unicorns, and the like), but her more well-known series is the Firekeeper Saga. Around the time she first moved to New Mexico, she joined a gaming group that included other authors such as Melinda Snodgrass and Walter Jon Williams, which spawned the Wild Cards series.
Stephen R. Donaldson is famous for The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Of course, he has other collections and series that have helped him become a more recognizable name in fantasy, but what he is isn’t known for are his fan-fiction novellas based on Marvel’s Thor and Heart of Darkness (both of these were never published, unfortunately).
Laura J. Mixon won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 2015. Her work is often associated with cyberpunk, and her first series Avatars Dance offers a welcome feminist take on the genre. Also of note are her collaborations with her husband Steve Gould (author of Jumper) and game designer Chris Crawford.
Robert E. Vardeman’s got his start in fanzines and played a key role in founding Bubonicon (one of Albuquerque’s major sci-fi conventions). He’s also is pretty prolific, having written over 50 novels including The War of Powers series and tie-ins with major properties like Star Trek and God of War.
Meet some of these New Mexico authors and many more at Bubonicon, August 25 to 27, 2017! World Weaver Press will be there. Find us in the dealer's room.
Kevin Saavedra graduated from the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Secondary Education. When he isn't working with kids, he's probably wandering around Albuquerque taking photos or scouting for a cozy spot to work on his novel.
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