It’s time to head back to San Jose, California for the second episode of Eating the Fantastic recorded during this year’s World Science Fiction Convention.

On the same day I went out for last episode’s lunch with Pat Cadigan, winner of the 2013 Hugo Award for her novelette “The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi” — we went out for sushi, of course — I also went out to dinner with K. Tempest Bradford for one of the best meals of that extended weekend in the Santana Row neighborhood at Amber India.

K. Tempest Bradford’s short stories have been published in such magazines as Abyss & Apex, Sybil’s Garage, Electric Velocipede, and Farthing, and anthologies like Clockwork Cairo, Diverse Energies, Federations, and Shadow of the Towers: Speculative Stories of a Post 9/11 World. Her non-fiction has appeared at NPR, io9, xoJane, plus the Angry Black Woman blog, sometimes — as you’ll hear us discuss — going viral. Along with Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward, she teaches the Writing the Other workshop, and is on the board of the Carl Brandon Society. She also happens to be one of the funniest people I know. Whenever I’m with Tempest, I can be assured there will be laughter.

We discussed how her Egyptian Afro-retro-futurism idea grew from a short story into a series of novels, the way she used crowdfunding to complete the research she needed, why her discovery of my Science Fiction Age magazine means I bear the responsibility for all she’s done since, how an online writing community gave her the confidence to be a writer, the advice from Samuel R. Delany she embraces the most, why she set aside her goal of becoming an opera singer and decided to become a writer instead, the reason there are so many female monsters in Greek mythology, how she blew up the Internet with her “Stop Reading White, Straight, Cis Male Authors for One Year” challenge, her extremely strong opinions about Steven Moffat’s version of Doctor Who, and much more.

Here’s how you can join us at the table— (more…)

My favorite photo from Readercon (my favorite of all conventions) was taken during my final moments of the con, almost immediately before I began my trip home. I’d paused on the way out to visit a lobby bathroom (as one does before a long drive) opposite the hotel restaurant. After I’d taken care of business, I noticed that on the other side of the glass wall separating the hallway from the restaurant was a large circular table of other attendees which included K. Tempest Bradford, who sat with her back toward me.

I tapped on the glass while pointing at Tempest until someone else at the table gestured that she should turn around. Once I’d caught her eye, I placed my hand against the glass, hoping she would raise her hand to mine.

And she did!

So as soon as our fingers were separated by only a pane of glass, I slowly intoned, with a voice I tried to make sound hoarse and weary …

“I have been … ”

And the table roared, for all recognized (1982 spoiler alert!) Spock’s dying words to Kirk from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. (more…)

As I indicated yesterday, I won’t fully enjoy the World Fantasy Convention here in Columbus unless I know you’re watching from afar and are kicking yourself for not being here. To make sure you’re doing just that, here are two additional readings I attended Friday.

First up, K. Tempest Bradford, who is accompanied in the reading of her short story by Mary Robinette Kowal.

Next, Kathe Koja, reading from her new novel Under the Poppy. (more…)