Karin Lowachee was born in South America, grew up in Canada, and worked in the Arctic. Her first novel Warchild won the 2001 Warner Aspect First Novel Contest. Both Warchild (2002) and her third novel Cagebird (2005) were finalists for the Philip K. Dick Award. Cagebird won the Prix Aurora Award for Best Long-Form Work in English and the Spectrum Award in 2006. Her books have been translated into French, Hebrew, and Japanese, and her short stories have appeared in anthologies edited by Nalo Hopkinson, John Joseph Adams, Jonathan Strahan, and Ann VanderMeer.
Rati Mehrotra lives and writes in lovely Toronto. Her short stories have appeared in AE—The Canadian Science Fiction Review, Apex Magazine, Urban Fantasy, Podcastle, Inscription Magazine, and many more. Her debut novel, Markswoman, will be published by Harper Voyager in early 2018. Find out more about her work at ratiwrites.com or follow her on Twitter: @Rati_Mehrotra
E(ugene).C. Myers is the author of the Andre Norton Award-winning Fair Coin and Quantum Coin, young adult science fiction novels published by Pyr, and The Silence of Six and Against All Silence, young adult cyber thrillers from Adaptive Books. He was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts and raised by a single mother and a public library in Yonkers, New York. Visit ecmyers.net and follow him on Twitter @ecmyers.
Tony Pi writes fantasy and science fiction, and his short stories have appeared widely. A Torontonian originally from Taiwan, he has a fondness for tales set in ancient China. He has been nominated for several science fiction awards in the past, and was the winner of an Aurora Award for Best English Poem/Song. See his list of works at tonypi.com.
Angela Yuriko Smith has published works that span multiple genres. Her writing career includes writing, editing and publishing for newspapers and writing both non-fiction and fiction. In the past, she has served as a host for JournalJabber online radio talk show and has been interviewed on National Public Radio for her nonfiction work.
Priya Sridhar, a 2016 MBA graduate and published author, has been writing fantasy and science fiction for fifteen years, and counting, as well as drawing a webcomic for five years. She believes that every story is a journey, and that a good tale allows the reader to escape to a new world. She also enjoys reading, biking, movie-watching, and classical music. One of Priya’s stories made the Top Ten Amazon Kindle Download list, and Alban Lake published her novella Carousel. Priya lives in Miami, Florida, with her family and posts monthly at her blog A Faceless Author.
Amanda Sun is the author of Heir to the Sky, a YA Fantasy about floating continents, monster hunters, dragons, and pygmy goats. She also wrote the Paper Gods series, Ink, Rain, and Storm, set in Japan and published by Harlequin Teen. The Paper Gods were Aurora Award nominees and Junior Library Guild selections, as well as Chapters Indigo Top Teen Picks. Her short fiction has also been published in various anthologies. When not reading or writing, Sun is an avid cosplayer, gamer, and geeky knitter. To get free Paper Gods novellas and other goodies, visit her website at AmandaSunBooks.com.
Naru Dames Sundar writes speculative fiction and poetry. His fiction has appeared in Lightspeed, Strange Horizons & Nature Magazine. He is a recipient of the 2016 Prix Aurora award for best poem. He lives in Northern California amid redwoods, moss and the occasional turkey. Find him at www.shardofstar.info or on twitter as @naru_sundar.
Jeremy Szal was born in 1995 with a twisted sense of humour and a taste for craft beer and foreign cinema. His science-fiction and fantasy work has appeared in Nature, Abyss & Apex, Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, Tor.com, The Drabblecast, and has been translated into multiple languages. He is the fiction editor for Hugo-winning podcast StarShipSofa where he’s worked with authors such as George R. R. Martin, William Gibson, and Joe R. Lansdale. He’s also got a rather useless BA in Film Studies and Creative Writing. He’s completed multiple novels and is on the hunt for literary representation. He carves out a living in Sydney, Australia. Find him at @jeremyszal or jeremyszal.com.
Regina Kanyu Wang is a science fiction writer from Shanghai, China. Winner of Chinese Nebula Awards for her writing as well as her contribution to the fandom, she is the co-founder of SF AppleCore and council member of World Chinese Science Fiction Association (WCSFA). Her short story, Back to Myan, won the SF Comet competition in Feb 2015. Her novella, Of Cloud and Mist, won the Silver Award for Best Novella of Chinese Nebula 2016.
Diana Xin holds an MFA from the University of Montana and a BA from Northwestern University. Her work has appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review, Gulf Coast, Narrative Magazine, and elsewhere. She has also received fellowships from the Loft Literary Centre and the Richard Hugo House.
Melissa Yuan-Innes writes fantasy and science fiction, including her novels Wolf Ice and High School Hit List, to escape from her cool work as an emergency doctor. Her short stories appear in Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2017 (Paula Guran, ed.), Nature, Writers of the Future XVI, Tesseracts 16, Fireside Magazine, and the Aurora-winning anthology The Dragon and the Stars. Since no one can pronounce her name, Melissa also writes mysteries under the pseudonym Melissa Yi, for which she was shortlisted for the Derringer Award. Visit www.melissayuaninnes.com.
Ruhan Zhao was born in Wuhan, China, and earned his PhD in mathematics at University of Joensuu in Finland. He spent about two years in Kyoto University as a JSPS postdoctoral fellow before he came to the United States. Currently, he is a mathematics professor at College at Brockport, SUNY. Ruhan has published a number of stories in Science Fiction World, Science Fiction King, and other magazines in China, and has served three times as a member in the selecting committee for the Chinese Nebula Award for Science Fiction. My Left Hand is his first professional sale in English.
ABOUT THE EDITORS
Lucas K. Law is a Malaysian-born freelance editor and published author who divides his time and heart between Calgary and Qualicum Beach. He has been a jury member for a number of fiction competitions including Nebula, RITA and Golden Heart awards. Lucas co-edited two anthologies, Strangers Among Us: Tales of the Underdogs and Outcasts and The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound, with Susan Forest. They are currently working on their third anthology, Shades Within Us: Tales of Global Migration and Fractured Borders. All three anthologies are from Laksa Media. With Derwin Mak, Lucas co-edited Where The Stars Rise: Asian Science Fiction and Fantasy (Laksa Media) When Lucas is not editing, writing, or reading, he is an engineering consultant and business coach, specializing in mergers and acquisition (M&A) activities, asset evaluations, business planning, and corporate development.
Derwin Mak lives in Toronto. His short story Transubstantiation won the Aurora Award for Best Short Form Work in English in 2006. He and Eric Choi co-edited The Dragon and the Stars (DAW Books, 2010), the first anthology of science fiction and fantasy by overseas Chinese. It won the 2011 Aurora Award for Best Related Work in English. His two novels The Moon Under Her Feet and The Shrine of the Siren Stone are science fiction that deal with religious themes in Christianity, Shintoism, and Buddhism. Derwin co-edited the Speculative Fiction Issue of Ricepaper magazine with JF Garrard in 2014. He and Lucas K. Law co-edited Where The Stars Rise: Asian Science Fiction and Fantasy (Laksa Media, 2017). He is currently acquiring documents and photographs about Toronto’s Chinese Canadian science fiction writers for the Toronto Public Library’s Chinese Canadian Archives, a new collection about the history of Toronto’s Chinese community.
COPYRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Foreword copyright © 2017 by Lucas K. Law
Introduction copyright © 2017 by Elsie Chapman
“Spirit of Wine” © 2017 by Tony Pi
“The dataSultan of Streets and Stars” © 2017 by Jeremy Szal
“Weaving Silk” © 2017 by Amanda Sun
“Vanilla Rice” © 2017 by Angela Yuriko Smith
“Looking Up” © 2017 by Divya Srinivasan Breed
“A Star is Born” © 2017 by Miki Dare
“My Left Hand” © 2017 by Ruhan Zhao
“DNR” © 2017 by Gabriela Lee
“
A Visitation for the Spirit Festival” © 2017 by Dandan Xin
“Rose’s Arm” © 2017 by Calvin D. Jim
“Back to Myan” by Regina Kanyu Wang. First English publication in this volume, translated by Shaoyan Hu. English text © 2017 by Regina Kanyu Wang and Shaoyan Hu.
“Meridian” © 2017 by Karin Lowachee
“Joseon Fringe” © 2017 by Pamela Q. Fernandes
“Wintry Hearts of Those Who Rise” © 2017 by Minsoo Kang
“Udātta Śloka” © 2017 by Deepak Bharathan
“Crash” © 2017 by Melissa Yuan-Innes
“Memoriam” © 2017 by Priya Sridhar
“The Observer Effect” © 2017 by E.C. Myers
“Decision” © 2017 by Joyce Chng
“Moon Halves” © 2017 by Anne Carly Abad
“The Bridge of Dangerous Longings” © 2017 by Rati Mehrotra
“Old Souls” © 2017 by Fonda Lee
“The Orphans of Nilaveli” © 2017 by Naru Dames Sundar
Afterword copyright © 2017 by Derwin Mak
LEARN HOW TO MANAGE YOUR STRESS …
LEARN DAILY MINDFULNESS.
APPENDIX: MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES & ANTI-DISCRIMINATION RESOURCES
Because of the dynamic nature of the internet, any telephone numbers, web addresses or links provided in this section may have changed since the publication of this book and may no longer be valid.
A listing in the Appendix doesn’t mean it is an endorsement from Laksa Media Groups Inc., publisher, editors, authors and/or those involved in this anthology project. Its listing here is a means to disseminate information to the readers to get additional materials for further investigation or knowledge.
RESPITE IS KEY TO YOUR WELL-BEING.
GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK . . .
How is your Mental Health? Do you think you have one or more of the following recently?
More Stress than Before
Grief
Separation and Divorce
Feeling Violence
Suicidal Thoughts
Self Injury
Excessive or Unexplained Anxiety
Obsessive Compulsive
Paranoia, Phobias or Panics
Post-Traumatic Stress
Depression
Bi-polar
Postpartum Depression
Eating Disorders
Schizophrenia
Addictions
Mood Disorders
Personality Disorders
Learning Disabilities
Mental Health Screening Tools
More information: www.mentalhealthamerica.net/mental-health-screening-tools
The Depression Screen is most appropriate for individuals who are feeling overwhelming sadness.
The Anxiety Screen will help if you feel that worry and fear affect your day to day life.
The Bipolar Screen is intended to support individuals who have mood swings—or unusual shifts in mood and energy.
The PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Screen is best taken by those who are bothered by a traumatic life event.
The Alcohol or Substance Use Screen will help determine if your use of alcohol or drugs is an area to address.
The Youth Screen is for young people (age 11-17) who are concerned that their emotions, attention, or behaviours might be signs of a problem.
The Parent Screen is for parents of young people to determine if their child’s emotions, attention, or behaviours might be signs of a problem.
The Psychosis Screen is for young people (age 12-35) who feel like their brain is playing tricks on them (seeing, hearing or believing things that don’t seem real or quite right).
Worried about Your Child—Symptom Checker: www.childmind.org/en/health/symptom-checker
10 Ways to Look after Your Mental Health
(source: www.mentalhealthamerica.net/live-your-life-well)
Connect with Others
Stay Positive
Get Physically Active
Help Others
Get Enough Sleep
Create Joy and Satisfaction
Eat Well
Take Care of Your Spirit
Deal Better With Hard Times
Get Professional Help If You Need It
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES & INFORMATION
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness, please consult a doctor or a healthcare professional in your community.
Below is not a comprehensive information listing, but it is a good start to get more information on mental health/illness.
Emergency Phone Number
If you or someone is in crisis or may be at risk of harming himself/herself or someone else, please call your national Emergency Phone Number immediately.
Canada 911
United States 911
United Kingdom 999 or 112
Ireland 999 or 112
EU 112
Australia 000
New Zealand 111
Canada
To locate your local Canadian Mental Health Association: www.cmha.ca
Specifically for children and young people (aged 5-20), call Kids Help Phone’s 24-hour confidential phone line at 1-800-668-6868 English or French. More information online: kidshelpphone.ca
There are a number of resource materials and list of organizations that you can reach out to on the Bell Let’s Talk website: http://letstalk.bell.ca/en/get-help/
Mental Health & Addiction Information A-Z (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health): www.camh.ca/en/hospital/health_information/a_z_mental_health_and_addiction_information/Pages/default.aspx
Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health: http://ccsmh.ca
List of local crisis centres (Canadian Centre for Suicide Prevention): http://suicideprevention.ca/need-help
United States
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255
For more mental health information:
www.mentalhealthamerica.net/mental-health-information
United Kingdom
The Samaritans (www.samaritans.org) offers emotional support 24 hours a day—get in touch with them: 116-123.
A to Z of Mental Health: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z
Free Mental Health Podcasts: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/podcasts-and-videos
Ireland
The Samaritans (www.samaritans.org) offers emotional support 24 hours a day—get in touch with them: 116-123.
Childline Helpline (https://www.childline.ie): Confidential for young people (under 18). Phone: 1-800-66-66-66
For more mental health information: www.mentalhealthireland.ie
Australia
Helplines, websites and government mental health services for Australia: mhaustralia.org/need-help
Kids Helpline: Confidential and anonymous, telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25. Phone: 1-800-55-1800 or visit
www.kidshelp.com.au
Lifeline: 24 hour telephone counselling service. Phone: 13-11-14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au
New Zealand
Helplines, websites and government mental health services for New Zealand: www.mentalhealth.org.nz/get-help/in-crisis/helplines
Youthline (for young people under 25): 0800-376-633. More information online: http://www.youthline.co.nz
Lifeline: 0800-543-354 or (09) 5222-999 within Auckland
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508-828-865 (0508-TAUTOKO)
International
Mental Health & Psychosocial Support: International Medical Corps https://internationalmedicalcorps.org/mentalhealth
International Association for Youth Mental Health http://www.iaymh.org/links.aspx
Crisis Helpline for Various Countries: http://www.yourlifecounts.org/need-help/crisis-lines
Emergency Number for Various Countries: http://www.suicidestop.com/worldwide_emergency_numbers.html
Suicide Crisis Helpline for Various Countries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_
suicide_crisis_lines, http://www.suicidestop.com/call_a_hotline.html
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION RESOURCES
Discrimination is an action or a decision that treats a person or a group negatively for reasons such as:
national or ethnic origin
colour
religion
age
sex
sexual orientation
marital status
family status
disability
What is Discrimination? For more information (Canadian Human Rights Commission):
http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/eng/content/what-discrimination
Canada
Promoting Relationship & Eliminating Violence Network (Prevnet): Information on bullying, resources on bullying and prevention at http://www.prevnet.ca
List of Crisis Centres in Canada: http://suicideprevention.ca/need-help
Free LifeLine App (Apple & Android): http://thelifelinecanada.ca/lifeline-canada-foundation/lifeline-app
United States
Cyberbullying Research Centre: Facts, Information, Blogs, and Resources at http://cyberbullying.org/resources
Crisis Text Line is a not-for-profit organization providing free crisis intervention via SMS message. The organization’s services are available 24 hours a day every day, throughout the US by texting 741741.
United Kingdom
Where The Stars Rise: Asian Science Fiction and Fantasy Page 35