Bending the Landscape
Bending the Landscape is the title of an award-winning series of LGBT-themed anthologies of short speculative fiction edited by Nicola Griffith and Stephen Pagel.[1][2] Three books were produced between 1997 and 2002, subtitled Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.[3] Each volume won LGBT or genre awards.[4]
Themes[edit]
The editors asked contributors to "imagine a different landscape... some milieu that had not happened" and then address the theme of Alien or Other, with the Other being a lesbian or gay man. However the stories were not specifically aimed at a gay readership.[5][6] Mark R. Kelly's review in locus magazine bemoaned the anthologies lack of thematic breadth.[5]
Awards[edit]
The series received awards including a World Fantasy Award,[7] two Lambda Literary Awards, and two Gaylactic Spectrum Awards.[4] Some individual stories contained within were also recipients of awards and nominations.
Bending the Landscape: Fantasy[edit]
Published in 1997.[3]
Awards[edit]
- Lambda Literary Award, Lesbian and Gay Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
- World Fantasy Award, Best Anthology
Contents[edit]
- Frost Painting – novelette by Carolyn Ives Gilman
- Gary, in the Shadows – shortstory by Mark Shepherd
- Prince of the Dark Green Sea – shortstory by Mark McLaughlin
- Water Snakes – shortstory by Holly Wade Matter
- Gestures Too Late on a Gravel Road – shortstory by Mark W. Tiedemann
- The Fall of the Kings (The World of Riverside) – novelette by Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman
- Cloudmaker – shortstory by Charlee Jacob
- Magicked Tricks – novelette by K. L. Berac
- The Sound of Angels – shortstory by Lisa S. Silverthorne
- The King's Folly – shortstory by James A. Moore
- Beside the Well – shortstory by Leslie What
- The Home Town Boy – shortstory by B. J. Thrower
- Expression of Desire – shortstory by Dominick Cancilla
- There Are Things Which Are Hidden from the Eyes of the Everyday – shortstory by Simon Sheppard
- Full Moon and Empty Arms – shortstory by M. W. Keiper
- Mahu – novelette by Jeff Verona
- The Stars Are Tears – shortstory by Robin Wayne Bailey
- Desire – shortstory by Kim Antieau
- Young Lady Who Loved Caterpillars – shortstory by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
- In Memory of – shortstory by Don Bassingthwaite
- In Mysterious Ways – novelette by Tanya Huff
- In the House of the Man in the Moon – shortstory by Richard Bowes
Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction[edit]
Published in 1998.[3]
Awards[edit]
- Lambda Literary Award, Lesbian and Gay Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
- Gaylactic Spectrum Award
- Stonewall Book Award: Literature (finalist)
Contents[edit]
- Sex, Guns, and Baptists – shortstory by Keith Hartman
- Half in Love With Easeful Rock and Roll – shortfiction by Rebecca Ore
- Powertool – shortfiction by Mark McLaughlin
- Time Gypsy – novelette by Ellen Klages
- Lonely Land – shortfiction by Denise Lopes Heald
- The Rendez-Vous – shortfiction by Nancy Johnston
- Silent Passion – shortfiction by Kathleen O'Malley
- Sun-Drenched – shortfiction by Stephen Baxter
- The Flying Triangle – [Near Space] – shortfiction by Allen Steele
- Brooks Too Broad For Leaping – shortstory by Charles Sheffield
- A Real Girl – shortfiction by Shariann Lewitt
- Dance at the Edge – novelette by L. Timmel Duchamp
- Love's Last Farewell – shortfiction by Richard A. Bamberg
- On Vacation – shortfiction by Ralph A. Sperry
- The City in Morning – shortstory by Carrie Richerson
- State of Nature – shortstory by Nancy Kress
- The Beautiful People – shortfiction by Wendy Rathbone
- Who Plays With Sin – shortfiction by Don Bassingthwaite
- Surfaces – shortfiction by Mark W. Tiedemann
- Stay Thy Flight – shortfiction by Élisabeth Vonarburg
- Free in Asveroth – shortstory by Jim Grimsley
Bending the Landscape: Horror[edit]
Published in 2001.[3]
Awards[edit]
- Gaylactic Spectrum Award
Contents[edit]
- Coyote Love – shortstory by Kraig Blackwelder
- Explanations Are Clear – novelette by L. Timmel Duchamp
- What Are You Afraid Of? – shortstory by Simon Sheppard
- The Lost Homeland – novelette by Cynthia Ward
- The Man Who Picks the Chamomile – shortstory by Mark McLaughlin
- Love on a Stick – novelette by Carrie Richerson
- Triangle – shortstory by Ellen Klages
- Memorabilia – novelette by Holly Wade Matter
- Blood Requiem – shortstory by Gary Bowen
- In the Days Still Left – novelette by Brian A. Hopkins and James Van Pelt
- Broken Canes – shortstory by Alexi Smart
- Keep the Faith – shortstory by A. J. Potter
- The WereSlut of Avenue A – shortstory by Leslie What
- Kindred – novelette by Alexis Glynn Latner
- 'Til Death – shortstory by Barbara Hambly
- If I Could See Lazarus Rising – novelette by Kathleen O'Malley
- The Waltz of the Epileptic Penguins – shortstory by Keith Hartman
- Passing – novelette by Mark W. Tiedemann
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Bending the Landscape – Series Bibliography", Internet Speculative Fiction Database, retrieved 16 October 2008
- ^ "Bending the Landscape". 22 October 2008.
- ^ a b c d Huber, George K., Anthologies of Gay Fiction, archived from the original on 16 October 2008, retrieved 16 October 2008
- ^ a b "The Locus Index to SF Awards", Locus, archived from the original on 24 October 2008, retrieved 16 October 2008
- ^ a b "Profiles of Recent Books from reviews in Locus Magazine", Locus, 19 October 1998, retrieved 16 October 2008
- ^ Pearson, Wendy (March 1999), "Identifying the Alien: Science Fiction Meets Its Other", Science Fiction Studies, 26, vol. Part 1, no. 77, archived from the original on 4 October 2008, retrieved 16 October 2008
- ^ World Fantasy Convention (2010). "Award Winners and Nominees". Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
- Anders, Charlie Jane (25 August 2021). "How Bending the Landscape Helped to Queer Speculative Fiction Forever". Tor.com. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
External links[edit]
- In depth review in Science Fiction Studies
- Reviews of some individual science fiction stories