Glitter & Mayhem

by John Klima, Lynne M. Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas

  Kyle S. Johnson hails from Dayton, Ohio and currently lives… somewhere. His fiction has appeared on Psuedopod and in The World Is Dead, Vampires Don’t Sparkle, and the Dark Faith anthologies. He is not terribly adept at roller skating or dancing, but he will try anything once.

  Galen Dara

  Galen Dara has done illustrations for Fireside Magazine, Lightpseed Magazine, the Lovecraft eZine, Scapezine, Apex Magazine, Dagan Books, and Edge Publishing. Most recently she illustrated the cover of Oz Reimagined, edited by John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen, and the cover of Geek Love, edited by Shanna Germain and Janine Ashbless. When Galen is not working on a project you can find her on the edge of the Sonoran Desert, climbing mountains and hanging out with a loving assortment of human and animal companions. Her website is www.galendara.com and you can follow her on twitter @galendara

  Alan DeNiro

  Alan DeNiro is the author of the story collection Skinny Dipping in the Lake of the Dead (Small Beer Press) and the novel Total Oblivion, More or Less (Spectra). His second story collection, Tyrannia, is forthcoming from Small Beer Press in the fall. His short stories have appeared in Asimov’s, Interfictions 2, One Story, and elsewhere. He lives outside St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife Kristin and twin toddlers, Alessandra and Tobias, who every day bring new meaning to the word “mayhem.”

  Amal El–Mohtar

  Amal El–Mohtar is the Nebula–nominated author of The Honey Month, a collection of spontaneous short stories and poems written to the taste of twenty–eight different kinds of honey. She is a two–time winner of the Rhysling Award for Best Short Poem, and edits Goblin Fruit, an online quarterly dedicated to fantastical poetry. She has also contributed essays to Queers Dig Time Lords, edited by Sigrid Ellis and Michael Damian Thomas, and the Hugo–nominated Chicks Unravel Time, edited by L. M. Myles and Deborah Stanish. Find her online at amalelmohtar.com.

  Amal would like to point out that Spangled Cabaret is a real thing (though sadly no longer in the Rio Cafe), and that this story is deeply indebted to its participants, among them Markee de Saw & Bert Finkle, Vendetta Vain, and the Creative Martyrs. Look them up!

  Daryl Gregory

  Daryl Gregory is an award–winning writer of genre–mixing novels, stories, and comics. His first novel, Pandemonium, won the Crawford Award and was nominated for a World Fantasy Award. His other novels include The Devil’s Alphabet (a Philip K. Dick award finalist), Raising Stony Mayhall (a Library Journal best SF book of the year), and the upcoming Afterparty. Many of his short stories are collected in Unpossible and Other Stories, which was named one of the best books of 2011 by Publisher’s Weekly. He lives in State College, PA, where he owns far too many flannel shirts to ever be considered glam.

  Damien Walters Grintalis

  Damien Walters Grintalis lives in Maryland with her husband and two rescued pit bulls. Her short fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Electric Velocipede, Strange Horizons, Interzone, Lightspeed, Shimmer, Apex Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, Shock Totem, and others. Her debut novel, Ink, was released in December 2012 by Samhain Horror.

  Maria Dahvana Headley

  Maria Dahvana Headley is the author of the dark fantasy/alt–history novel Queen of Kings, as well as the internationally bestselling memoir The Year of Yes. Her Nebula–nominated short fiction has appeared in Lightspeed, Subterranean, and more, and will be anthologized in the 2013 editions of Rich Horton’s The Year’s Best Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Paula Guran’s The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, and Jurassic London’s The Lowest Heaven. Most recently, she co–edited the anthology Unnatural Creatures, with Neil Gaiman. Find her on Twitter at @MARIADAHVANA, or on the web at www.mariadahvanaheadley.com.

  Kat Howard

  Kat Howard is a full time writer living in the Twin Cities. Her short fiction has been performed on NPR as part of Selected Shorts, and selected for a year’s best anthology. Her work has been included in Stories, edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio, and Oz Reimagined, edited by John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen, and in magazines such as Apex Magazine, Lightspeed, and Subterranean. You can find her on Twitter as @KatWithSword, and she blogs at strangeink.blogspot.com.

  Vylar Kaftan

  Vylar Kaftan is a Nebula–nominated author who has published about three dozen stories in places such as Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, and Realms of Fantasy. Her novella “The Weight of the Sunrise,” an alternate history about the Incan empire surviving into the 19th century, came out in Asimov’s this year. She’s the founder of FOGcon, a new literary SF/F convention in the San Francisco area, and she blogs at www.vylarkaftan.net.

  Seanan McGuire

  Seanan McGuire was born and raised in Northern California, land of many flat track roller derby leagues, and even a few surviving roller rinks (although not nearly enough). She writes urban fantasy as herself and medical science fiction thrillers under the name “Mira Grant,” which is sort of like having a derby name, if your team had a “destroying the world for fun and profit” theme.

  Seanan currently lives in a crumbling old farmhouse with her three giant cats, her extensive collection of horror movies, and enough books to be classified as a library under local zoning laws. You can follow her online at www.seananmcguire.com, where she posts a lot of really random stuff. If you enjoyed “Bad Dream Girl,” check out Discount Armageddon, the first book in the InCryptid series.

  That noise wasn’t the wind.

  Jennifer Pelland

  By day, Jennifer Pelland is a surly project manager. By night, she transforms into a glittery belly dancer and a not–so–glittery science fiction author. Okay, sometimes she’s a little glittery when she writes. It takes a long time to wash that shit off completely. Jennifer is a two–time Nebula short fiction nominee and a 2013 Boston Phoenix Readers Poll finalist for best author. Her work can be found in places such as Brave New Worlds, Unidentified Funny Objects, both volumes of Dark Faith, and her short story collection Unwelcome Bodies, published by Apex. Apex also published her novel Machine in 2012. She has been nominated for absolutely nothing as a belly dancer, although she’s currently in a three–way tie for “Tallest Belly Dancer in the Boston Area,” which isn’t really a competition. The mayhem in her life is supplied by the Andy and the three cats currently infesting her home. www.jenniferpelland.com

  Tim Pratt

  Tim Pratt’s stories have appeared in The Best American Short Stories, The Year’s Best Fantasy, The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, and other nice places. He has won the Hugo Award for his short fiction, and has been a finalist for World Fantasy, Sturgeon, Stoker, Mythopoeic, and Nebula Awards. His latest collection is Antiquities and Tangibles and Other Stories. He lives in Berkeley CA with his wife, writer Heather Shaw, and their son. For more, visit www.timpratt.org.

  Cat Rambo

  Cat Rambo lives, writes, and teaches by the shores of an eagle–haunted lake in the Pacific Northwest. Her 100+ fiction publications include stories in Asimov’s, Clarkesworld Magazine, Apex Magazine, and Tor.com. Her short story, “Five Ways to Fall in Love on Planet Porcelain,” from her story collection Near + Far (Hydra House Books), was a 2012 Nebula nominee. Her editorship of Fantasy Magazine earned her a World Fantasy Award nomination in 2012. For more about her, as well as links to her fiction and information about her online classes, see http://www.kittywumpus.net.

  Tansy Rayner Roberts

  Tansy Rayner Roberts is a fantasy novelist with a PhD in Classics. Her books include Splashdance Silver, Love and Romanpunk, and the Creature Court trilogy (Power & Majesty, The Shattered City, and Reign of Beasts). She has won the Washington SF Association Small Press Award twice, and is a presenter on two popular podcasts: Galactic Suburbia and Verity!

  You can find Tansy at her blog http://tansyrr.com/ and on Twitter as @tansyrr.

  Diana Rowland

  Diana Rowland has worked as a bartender, a blackjack dealer, a pit boss, a street cop, a detective, a computer forensics specialist, a crime scene inves
tigator, and a morgue assistant, which means that she’s seen a helluva lot of weird crap. She won the marksmanship award in her Police Academy class, has a black belt in Hapkido, has handled numerous dead bodies in various states of decomposition, and can’t rollerblade to save her life.

  Diana is the author of the police procedural/urban fantasy Demon Summoner series (Mark of the Demon, Blood of the Demon, Secrets of the Demon, Sins of the Demon, Touch of the Demon, are you sensing a trend yet?) and the White Trash Zombie series (My Life as a White Trash Zombie, Even White Trash Zombie Get the Blues, and White Trash Zombie Apocalypse.) And, seriously, her rollerblading is the stuff of comedy.

  Sofia Samatar

  Sofia Samatar is the author of the novel A Stranger in Olondria (Small Beer Press, 2013). She holds a PhD in African Languages and Literature from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she specialized in Egyptian and Sudanese fiction. Her poetry, short fiction, and reviews have appeared in a number of places, including Stone Telling, Strange Horizons, Clarkesworld Magazine, and Apex Magazine. She is Nonfiction and Poetry Editor for Interfictions: A Journal of Interstitial Arts, and blogs, mostly about books, at sofiasamatar.blogspot.com. She loves thrift stores, staying up late, and cheesy urban dance movies, and glitters constantly, especially on the inside.

  David J. Schwartz

  David J. Schwartz writes short stories, novels, rent checks, ransom notes, constitutions in code, epics in ice unread by humans. If he had three wishes, one would be to be a rollergirl. His stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and periodicals, including Strange Horizons, Unstuck, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, and The Best of Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet. His serial novel Gooseberry Bluff Community College of Magic: The Thirteenth Rib is available from Amazon; his previous novel, Superpowers, was nominated for a Nebula Award. His favorite Bowie album is Hunky Dory, his favorite Prince album is Sign “O” the Times, and he has no knowledge of any romantic connection between Barry White and Dusty Springfield. His website is at http://www.snurri.com/.

  William Shunn & Laura Chavoen

  William Shunn is the author of over thirty works of short fiction, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Sturgeon Award–nominated novella “Inclination.” He served three years as a national judge for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and he co–hosts Chicago’s monthly Tuesday Funk reading series. In the early days of the web, he helped produce live online concert broadcasts for artists like The Cure, The Allman Brothers Band, and Mötley Crüe.

  Laura Chavoen is a wanna–be geek, a data and meme junkie, and a scarf and bangle lover. In her role as a digital brand strategist, she creates social and digital programs for clients and drives innovation. In the past she executive–produced Scholastic’s websites for kids, including Harry Potter and Clifford the Big Red Dog, and also helped manage Scholastic’s non–profit scholarship program, The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. A former denizen of the Chicago club scene, Laura is an experienced world traveler who has run the Chicago and Boston Marathons and inline–skated across Holland.

  Bill and Laura have been married since 2001, and have lived in New York City and Chicago. Their dog Ella is the world’s most photogenic soft–coated wheaten terrier. “Subterraneans” is their first fictional collaboration. A soundtrack to the story can be heard on Spotify at bit.ly/glittersub

  Cory Skerry

  Cory Skerry lives in a spooky old house that he doesn’t like to admit is haunted. When he’s not peddling (or meddling with) art supplies, he’s writing, reading submissions, or off exploring with his sweet, goofy pit bulls. If his career as a writer fails, he plans to build a time machine and travel back to the 1700s to be a highwayman, because Jonny Lee Miller made it look hot. So far, Cory’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in several magazines and anthologies, though none of them are quite as sparkly as the one you’re reading right now. To read those other stories, visit coryskerry.net.

  Rachel Swirsky

  Rachel Swirsky holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers Workshop. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Tor.com, Subterranean Magazine, Apex Magazine, and Clarkesworld. She’s been nominated for the Hugo Award, the Locus Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Sturgeon Award, and the Seiun Award, among others. In 2011, her novella “The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers Beneath the Queen’s Window” won the Nebula Award. Through the Drowsy Dark, a slim volume of Swirsky’s feminist poetry and short stories, came out from Aqueduct Press in 2010. A second collection, How the World Became Quiet: Myths of the Past, Present, and Future, is forthcoming in 2013 from Subterranean Press. Visit her online at www.rachelswirsky.com. If Rachel ever loses track of her spouse, he can be identified via size 10 steel–toed work boots.

  Editors of Mayhem

  John Klima

  John Klima previously worked at Asimov’s, Analog, and Tor Books before returning to school to earn his Master’s in Library and Information Science. He now works full time as the assistant director of a large public library. When he is not conquering the world of indexing, John edits and publishes the Hugo Award–winning genre zine Electric Velocipede. The magazine is also a four–time nominee for the World Fantasy Award. In 2007 Klima edited an anthology of science fiction and fantasy stories based on spelling–bee winning words called Logorrhea: Good Words Make Good Stories. In 2011 Klima edited Happily Ever After, a reprint anthology of fairytale retellings. He and his family live in the Midwest.

  Lynne M. Thomas

  Lynne M. Thomas is the Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University. She’s probably best known as the co–editor of the Hugo Award–winning Chicks Dig Time Lords (2010) with Tara O’Shea, Whedonistas (2011) with Deborah Stanish, and the Hugo Award–nominated Chicks Dig Comics (2012) with Sigrid Ellis, all published by Mad Norwegian Press. Along with the Geek Girl Chronicles book series, Lynne is the Editor–in–Chief of the Hugo Award–nominated (2012 & 2013) Apex Magazine, an online professional prose and poetry magazine of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mash–ups of all three. She moderates the Hugo Award–winning SF Squeecast and contributes to the Verity! podcast. Lynne lives in DeKalb with her husband Michael, their daughter Caitlin, and a cat named Marie. Lynne is also a part–time Dancing Queen and grew up at a roller rink in the wilds of Massachussetts.

  Michael Damian Thomas

  Michael Damian Thomas is the Hugo Award–nominated Managing Editor of Apex Magazine and a former Associate Editor at Mad Norwegian Press. He’s the co–editor of the Doctor Who essay anthology Queers Dig Time Lords with Sigrid Ellis. Michael lives in DeKalb with his wife Lynne, their daughter Caitlin, and a cat named Marie. He can solve most of the world’s problems with a cocktail, some music, and a pair of rollerskates.

  Acknowledgements

  We want to thank all of the people who made Glitter & Mayhem possible. A Kickstarter needs a lot of help. Numerous people spread the word and promoted this project. We thank all of you. A special thanks goes to all of our backers. This is your party.

  Our Kickstarter Backers:

  @lintilla42, A.P. Matlock, Adam Israel & Andrea Redman, Adam Windsor, Adeline Teoh, Alexandra Pierce, Alisa Krasnostein, Alison Pentecost, Alistair Hyde Page, Allison Armstrong, Alyn Day, Amal El–Mohtar, Amber Watson, Amy E Goldman, Amy Estes, An Owomoyela, Ana Steuart, Andrew DiMatteo, Andrew Hatchell, Andrew J Clark IV, Andrew Lin, Andrew Stingel, Ann Walker, Anna McDuff, Anne Burner, Anonymous, Anonymous, Anonymous, Anthony R. Cardno, April M. Steenburgh, Arachne Jericho, Ari Marmell, Arzvi, Ashley Chatneuff, aurellia, Barb Moermond, Barry Deutsch, baywoof, Bear Weiter, Bekki Callaway, Ben Stanley, Beth, Betsy Phillips, Betty Widerski, Beverly Bambury, Bill McGeachin, Brad Roberts, Brenda Stokes Barron, Brent Millis, Brenton Clifford, Brian Sebby, Brian White, Brian, Sarah, and Josh Williams, Brit Mandelo, Bruce Cohen, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, C G Julian, C.C. Finlay, Cameron Horn, Carey Watson, Carl Rigney, Carla M. Lee, Carol Darnell, Carol J. Guess, Caroline Pruett, Catherine & Christian Berntsen, C
athy Green, Celeste Wetzel, Charlie Byrd, chelsea g. summers, Cheryl Morgan, Chia Lynn Evers, Chloe Hardy, Chloe Long, Chris Matthew G, Chris Newell, Christian Decomain, Christina Vasilevski, Christopher Mangum, Cindie Hurley, Cindy Sperry, Colleen Reed, Cory Cone, Courtney Bocci, Craig E, Craig H, Craig Hackl, Creatrix Tiara, Cylia Amendolara, Cynthia Dawn Griffin, Cynthia Ward, D Bubulj, D Taylor–Rodriguez, Dana, Dana Organ, Dani Daly, Danielle Beauchesne, Dave Freireich, Dave Thompson, Dave Versace, David Wardrop, David Wohlreich, Dawn Vogel, DeAnna Knippling, Deanne Fountaine, Deborah Stanish, Denise Gorse, Denise Moline, dixie lee ross, DJ Reilly, DJ Skw33k, Don Alsafi, Dr. Mary Crowell, Drew Glazier, Duffi McDermott, E. Kristin Anderson, Edward Greaves, Elanor Matton–Johnson, Elishabet Lato, Elizabeth Bordeau, Elizabeth Creegan, Elizabeth Fallon, Elizabeth Massie, Emily B. Langton, Emily Hartman, Emily Wagner, Emily Weed Baisch, enui, Eric Horbinski, Erika Ensign, Erin Kowalski, Erin McNamara, Eugene Johnson, Evgeni Kantor, Fade Manley, Ferrett Steinmetz, Fletcher, Fran Wilde, Frances Rowat, Fred Kiesche, Galen Dara, Gary B. Phillips, Gary J. Baker, Gary Kloster, Gessika Rovario–Cole, Ginger O, Glennis LeBlanc, Greg Jayson, Greg Roy, Gregory Lincoln, Gretchen Treu, Gwydion Vennema, Gwynne Garfinkle, Haddayr Copley–Woods, Hans Ranke, Heathyr Fields, Heidi Cykana, Heidi Waterhouse, Helen Apocalypse, Helen Truax, Herbert Eder, Holly Aitchison, Holly McDowell, Hugh Blair, Ian Mond, J Nilsson, Jack Vivace, Jackie Monkiewicz, James Bushell, james_, Jasmine Stairs, Jason Root, Jaym Gates, Jed Hartman, Jeff James, Jeff Linder, Jeff Xilon, Jen Grantham, Jen Woods, Jennie Goloboy, Jennifer Brozek, Jennifer Melchert, Jennifer Wilson, Jenny Barber, Jeremy Zimmerman, Jerrie the filkferengi, Jess Lethbridge, Jessica Cohen, Joanna King, Joanna Lowenstein, Joanne B., John Devenny, John M Gamble, John Richards, John Seghers, Jon Christian Allison, Jonathan Disher, Jonathan Hamlet, Jordy Jensky, Joseph Hoopman, Josh Rountree, Joyce Clapp, Joyce Saenz Harris, jrho, Juha Autero, Julia Rios, Julia Svaganovic, Juliana Rew, Juliette Wade, K Kisner, K. Dikeman, Kaia Gavere, Karen Mahoney, Karen Meisner, Karen Williams, Kari Blackmoore, Kat McNerney, Kate G., Kate Heartfield, Kate Keen, Katharine, Kathleen Luce, Kathryn L, Katie Hynes, Kellan Sparver, Kelly Lagor, Kelly McCullough, Kelly Myers, Kelly Stiles, Ken Liu, Kerry “circeramone” Jacobson, Kerry aka Trouble, Kevin Bailey, Khinasidog, Kim Riek, Kip Manley, Kitty Stark, KN Kasdorf, Kristi Chadwick, Kristin Stonham, Kristina VanHeeswijk, Kristine Kearney, Kristjan Wager, kristopher o’higgins, Kyna Foster, Larry Stein, Laura Blanchard, Laura D, Laura Pinson, Laurel Copeland, Lauren M. Roy, Lauren Vega, Layne, Leah Marcus, Lee Morey, Liari, Lindsay Walter, Lisa Martincik, Lisa Padol and Joshua Kronengold, Liz Gorinsky, Liz Peterson, Lola McCrary, Lorena Dinger, Lori Priebe, Lydia Ondrusek, M J, Marc Jacobs, Margaret Colville, Marina Handwerk, Marina Radcliff, Mark Amidon, Mark Gerrits, Mark Webb, Mary Spila, Mary Sue, Matt & Morgan Wagner, Matt White, Matthew A., Matthew Kressel, Matthew Sheahan, Megan Lynae Sohar, Megan Scroggins, MeiLin Miranda, Melissa House, Melissa Tabon, Meredith Jeanne Gillies, Meri Aust, Michael (Mike SumNoyz) Kwan, Michael Bernardi, Michael Lee, Michael M. Jones, Michael Mendoza, Michael R. Underwood, Michael S Lienau, Michelle Dupler, Michelle LaRock, Michelle Muenzler, Micole Sudberg, Mike Douton, Mike Gucciard, Mindy Schmid, Miriam Krause, Misha Dainiak, Morva Bowman & Alan Pollard, Muriel Jackson, Natasha Yar–Routh, Nathan Hall, Nayad Monroe, Neil Williamson, Nicole Cipri, Nina Niskanen, Nivair H. Gabriel, Olna Jenn Smith, P. Gelatt, paksiegurlie, Pamela Adams, Patricia Bullington–McGuire, Patricia E. Crebase, Paul Cornell, Paul Hattrem, Paul Weimer, Persis L. Thorndike, Peter Aronson, Peter Hansen, Peter M Ball, Philip Barkow, Pornokitsch, Qui–Gon Jinn, Rachel Holkner, Rachel Sasseen, Rafia Mirza, Rebecca D. Howard, Rebecca Harbison, Rebecca Sparks & Orion Newcomb, Remy Nakamura, Ren Warom, renshai, Richard Leaver, Rivka, Robert H. Wilson, Robert L. Fleck, Robert Levy, robyn S, Roger Silverstein, Roselyne Bourgault, Rosemarie Brizak, Rrain Prior, Rudi Dornemann, Ruth Stuart, Ruthanna and Sarah Emrys, S M Kennedy, Sabrina Sloyan, Sally Qwill Janin, Samantha Henderson, Samantha Rohaus, Sandra Wickham, Sandy Coffta, Sandy Swirsky & Lyle Merithew, Sara Carrero, Sara Harvey, Sara Puls, Sarah A., Sarah Goslee, Sarah Kuhn, Sarah M. Heile, Sarah Pinsker, Sarah Smith–George, Sass, Sealey Andrews, Sean Collins, Sean Hagle, Seth Fogarty, Sharyn November, Sheila Perry, Sheryl Ehrlich, Shira Lipkin, Shiyiya LeCompte, Silvia Moreno–Garcia, Simo Muinonen, Sondra de Jong, Sonya Dent, Stacey Jones Erdman, Stephanie Franklin, Stephanie Leary, Stephen Blackmoore, Stephen Tihor, summervillain, Suzette “Twinki Darfur” Padley, Sven of the Dead, Sydney Ashcraft, Tahmi DeSchepper, Tamara L. DeGray, Tamisha Martin, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Tara Smith, Tasha Turner, Tehani Wessely, The Sables, Thomas Werner, Tim Sonnreich, Tod McCoy, Tom Hunter, Tom Underberg, Toni Wiltshire, Tony Romandetti, Tracy Cain, Trevor Quachri, Tyler Hayes, Vajra Chandrasekera, Victoria Traube, Wesley Chu, William & Laura Pearson, William B. Emerson, Wolf SilverOak, Yoshio Kobayashi, Ysabet MacFarlane, Zoe E. Whitten