Valya Dudycz Lupescu

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    Hear Ukrainian Fantastic Stories Read Aloud

    I love hearing authors read their own work, especially when those authors are good readers. The first time I ever heard a "real live author" read their work was when I was in high school and went to see Anne Rice read in a bookstore in downtown Chicago. It blew my mind that I could actually talk with (well, shyly say hello to) the person who wrote it. That may have been the day authors became real people for me, watching Anne Rice sitting at a table talking to her fans. I would not be introduced to conventions or fandom for[...]
    Measuring Time

    Measuring Time

    I turned fifty last weekend, although turned feels too active a verb. The earth did the turning. All I did was wake up and because of how we measure time in years around the sun, I find myself a year older. It's February, and the seasons are starting to change; the planet is doing the work of transforming from winter to spring in our Northern Hemisphere.  The world spins and we spin with it, measuring our lives in beginnings and endings: The life of a mayfly in 24 hours, the ruby-throated hummingbird in three to four years. Our beloved cats and[...]
    British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) longlist for Best Collection

    British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) longlist for Best Collection

    Last week, the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) released their longlist of nominees for the BSFA Awards, for work published in 2023. Embroidered Worlds: Fantastic Fiction from Ukraine and the Diaspora was among those listed for Best Collections! I am honored that we were included; I'm also so excited to see Ukrainian fiction on a list like this. When I was a young reader in the 80s and 90s, I dreamed of such an opportunity; and I am heartened to know that readers are enjoying and discussing these stories by writers in Ukraine and the Diaspora. There are so many thoughtful collections[...]
    Embroidered Worlds Release Day!!!

    Embroidered Worlds Release Day!!!

    Today is the official release day for Embroidered Worlds: Fantastic Fiction from Ukraine and the Diaspora!!! A desperate trek through the icy canyons of Mars, a doll-sized family with giant-sized opinions, a defiant princess whose fate must remain a secret… Welcome to the wild, colorful, and ever-blossoming landscapes of the Ukrainian imagination. Embroidered Worlds presents a bold glimpse into fantastic storytelling throughout Ukrainian culture, from science fiction, fantasy, and horror to slipstream, fairy tales, and more. This collection gathers 30 short stories from writers living in wartime Ukraine, their work translated into English for the very first time, as well as from international authors[...]
    In Gratitude: A List of Charities

    In Gratitude: A List of Charities

    (A version of this post also appears as a Kickstarter update.) On Saturday, September 30, 2023, 1,072 backers pledged $23,567 to help bring Embroidered Worlds: Fantastic Fiction from Ukraine and the Diaspora to life. Our Kickstarter backers included people from all over the world! We are so grateful for all the ways that people showed their support over the past month: becoming backers, sharing posts, telling friends, engaging with our updates. Together we created a global community of readers for these thirty fantastic stories, and we are so excited for people to read them. Many people asked us about other ways to help the[...]

Critical Acclaim

Lovely Prose

The lovely prose and the mix of mythic Ukrainian matter with a contemporary setting won me over. Continue reading on sfsite.com

5 out of 5 stars

This is definitely something to read and add to your collection if you enjoy a good story that involves the use of folk tales. 5 out of 5 stars. Continue reading on Indie Comix

Robert McClelland
Indie Comix

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