In case you missed any of these, or in case you can nominate or vote in awards for works published in 2023, here’s what I did:
Dual Memory — Pirates, spies, and a smart-ass AI: what more could you want from a novel? You can watch me read Chapter 3 here.
“The Virgin Who Rescues Dragons” — When authors invoke archetypes for their stories, so much can go wrong. This short story (3550 words) appears in the Cosmic Muse anthology.
Two translations:
“Embracing the Movement” by Cristina Jurado — Space is filled with beauty and horror. You can find this short story (3470 words) in the collection Alphaland and Other Tales.
Canyonlands: A Quarantine Ballad by JB Rodríguez Aguilar — This literary novella (19,500 words) explores the anguish of a photographer trapped in a hotel at the start of the covid pandemic.
Next year:
In October, expect the third book in the Semiosis trilogy: Usurpation. Rainbow bamboo grows everywhere on Earth, and it must find a way to dominate with compassion.
Sue Burke 
I don’t suppose you need a proofreader or test audience for Usurpation….?
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Thanks for offering, but the manuscript for “Usurpation” is now in the hands of the publisher, Tor, — specifically, right now, in the hands of the copyeditor.
Some of the chapters of “Usurpation” were critiqued by my writer’s group. All of them received extensive remarks and suggestions by my editor and agent.
The publisher handles it from there: a very professional copyeditor, then two rounds of proofreading. Information about how Tor hires people for that is here: Careers – Tor/Forge Blog
https://www.torforgeblog.com/careers/
Thanks again, and I hope this helps.
Sue
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Thank you, I was just joking 🙂
That’s just how excited I am for the book!
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Ha, sneaky! I’m excited, too. Fun fact: I knew how the novel had to end, and as I was writing the rough draft of the final chapter, I was still trying to figure out how to get to that ending. Then I realized the answer was obvious…
Anyway, you can pre-order the book from some retailers already. Here’s the links: Usurpation
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250809162/usurpation
Thank you again for the generous enthusiasm!
Sue
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Hello again! I hope this message isn’t an annoyance. If you could give me some narrative insight into Semiosis, I would massively appreciate it.
I find Stevland and his/her evolution absolutely fascinating — even named my bodhi tree after him!
Several times throughout, his entries refer to a violent past that’s left him with massive shame as well as a source of motivation. My question is 3-fold:
(1) did you have a specific behavior or event in mind that would cause Stevland so much guilt?
(2) did Stevland carry this burden when first interacting with the humans, or was it only after his/her understanding of mutualism evolved that he became reflectively remorseful?
(3) is this behavior going to be explored further in the new book?
Thanks again!
Neil
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Hello Neil,
Good questions!
Stevland has an old root that has told him about the past of the rainbow bamboo. He knows that the bamboo fought against each other, using animals as weapons, which resulted in the extinction of some animals, and he is the only bamboo still alive. He knows that as a bamboo, he can cause enormous destruction, just like his ancestors. He vows never to be like them.
Stevland is also a social being (like trees on Earth, and like humans), and so being all alone is mentally painful, just as solitary confinement for humans is torture. So when the humans arrive, he knows that he could destroy them, but if he does, then he will lose the only true social community he has. Mutualism is his way to nurture the community. He will also do anything to protect the humans because he needs them for his own emotional survival … even if it means acting like his ancestors.
This question comes up again in “Interference.”
The third book, “Usurpation,” comes at the question from a different angle. Is there a way to overcome violence?
I hope this gives you some insight.
All the best,
Sue
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