The Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2017 WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction:

• “Foxfire, Foxfire,” by Yoon Ha Lee, published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, ed. by Scott H. Andrews, (March 2016);
• “Jupiter or Bust,” by Brad R. Torgersen, published in Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, ed. by Edmund Schubert, (March/ April 2016);
• “The Mytilenian Delay,” by Neil James Hudson, in Hyperpowers, ed. by Bascombe James, published by Third Flatiron Publishing (May 2016);
• “Only Their Shining Beauty Was Left,” by Fran Wilde, published in Shimmer Magazine, ed. by E. Catherine Tobler, (September 2016);
• “Radio Silence,” by Walter H. Hunt in Alien Artifacts, ed. by Joshua Palmatier and Patricia Bray, published by Zombies Need Brains, (2016);
• “A Salvaging of Ghosts,” by Aliette de Bodard, published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, ed. by Scott H. Andrews, (March 2016);
• “The Tomato Thief,” by Ursula Vernon, published in Apex Magazine, ed. by Jason Sizemore, (January 2016);
• “Vengence Sewn With A Fey Cord,” by Christine Lucas, published in The Future Fire, ed. by Djibril al-Ayad, (April 2016);
• “The Witch’s Knives,” by Margaret Ronald, published in Strange Horizons, ed. by Niall Harrison, Jane Crowley, Kate Dollarhyde, Lila Garrott, Catherine Krahe, An Owomoyela, and Vajra Chandrasekera, (October 2016).

The award honors the efforts of small press publishers in providing a critical venue for short fiction in the area of speculative fiction. The award showcases the best original short fiction published by small presses in the previous year (2016).

An unusual feature of the selection process is that all voting is done with the identity of the author (and publisher) hidden so that the final choice is based solely on the quality of the story.

The winner is chosen by the members of the Washington Science Fiction Association (www.wsfa.org) and will be presented at Capclave (www.capclave.org), held this year on October 6-8, 2017 in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Is it time travel? Or translocation? Either way, the WSFA meetings in August will swap locations. The first Friday meeting in August will be at our Maryland location and the third Friday in August will be in Virginia.

See the Calendar for address and contact information.

There was some talk of books before the 7/7/17 July First Friday meeting. “Let’s get this truncated meeting done,” said President Bob. Sam S. said we have a little less than $xxx). Year over year -$xxx

For Capclave Present Sam S. said membership was up to xxx, a steady trickle but we need more, we’re about normal pace and need to be ahead of it. Shambling toward Capclave. Cap Future, Far Future, and 2020 not here. For WFC Sam S said we are up to xxx members. A number of guests have been announced with one or two more to come. It will be held at Renaissance Baltimore Nov 1-3, 2019.

Small Press Award Committee told people to read stories and vote.
Trustees had nothing.
Talk SF: We will be discussing Hugo finalists this time.

Click the link for the full text of the July/August 2017 WSFA Journal, including the Minutes of the July 7th, 21th 2017 / August 4th, 18th 2017 meetings.

WSFA Journal July-August 2017

Note: Publication date is set to the date of the Journal, rather than the date posted, for indexing purposes

The Kathi Overton and John Pomeranz Fourth of July party will be Noon till late on Tuesday the 4th of July.
5927 3rd Street North, Arlington VA.
Call 703-5CAT-WAR for directions.

The May First Friday (5-5-17) WSFA meeting began with an announcement of the election. Sam S., treasurer, said if you have not paid your dues, he is ready to take money. We have $xx. There was talk about Sam S and Judy S being paid members but WSFA pays their dues because they host WSFA.

Bob chaired the meeting. Mike said he is ready to hold a meeting, but Bob said he is not enthusiastic. We have to get the RR running. People gave Trumpisms.

Capclave Present. Elizabeth said she’s here. Her convention at work is over. Logan airport is the worst. She prefers Chicago. She is going to Tampa next year. She has spent five days throwing things out. We will have a convention, it will be awesome. Neil Clarke has a patron. Ravencon has lots of people who would be good for Capclave. People should register. Price goes up after Balticon. If you went to a convention and liked something they did, if replicable, suggest it to her.

Click the link for the full text of the May/June 2017 WSFA Journal, including the Minutes of the May 5th, 19th 2017 / June 2nd, 16th 2017 meetings.

WSFA Journal May-June 2017

Note: Publication date is set to the date of the Journal, rather than the date posted, for indexing purposes

First Friday meeting in March, 3/3/17, began with President Bob presiding. WSFAns quieted down. “It’s 9:15,” said Bob. “George, tell us what you remember from the last meeting.” George said there was no quorum, nothing significant sticks to his mind. No attendance. Sam S. for treasurer said $XX,XXX.XX. We have 35 paid up members.

The trustees said we will have election in a couple of months. We are looking for new warm bodies to take over from old warm bodies. Bob reminded trustees need a slate by start of April.

Capclave Present: Cathy said Elizabeth has the plague. Cathy said, Elizabeth and Sherin Nicole are working on bookmarks. Tweaking it. We will have them by Ravencon/Lunacon. We sent out invites. Sam S said we have 80 paid members, about what we have normally. For Capclave Future, Cathy had nothing to report. There was a discussion of trying to talk to hotels.

Click the link for the full text of the March/April 2017 WSFA Journal, including the Minutes of the March 3rd, 17th 2017 / April 7th, 21st 2017 meetings.

WSFA Journal March-April 2017

Note: Publication date is set to the date of the Journal, rather than the date posted, for indexing purposes

An abbreviated WSFA First Friday (1/6/17) meeting took place after Lawrence Schoen’s reading. Bob Macintosh chaired. The meeting was called to order at 10:23. No business was done at the last meeting. Bob asked the committees to pass unless something important to say.

Sam S. said we have money. “Pay your dues, see me after the meeting.” Dues are $20. We have $X in bank with a Year over Year of $X. For trustees, Mike Walsh said there was a vacancy in the small press award committee. Kim Hargan threw himself in front of bus, err volunteered. There will be an election first Friday in February. Nominations from floor will be accepted.

For Capclave 2017, Elizabeth asked people to register. Sign up now while less expensive.

There is a new WSFA email list in google groups. It will be low traffic, intended for announcements, transactional things. To subscribe, give permission to Elizabeth or see your email.

For Capclave Future, Cathy said she had a productive meeting with Collette about hotels and discussed possible arrangements. Bill has nothing to report for 2020 or WFC.

Click the link for the full text of the January/February 2017 WSFA Journal, including the Minutes of the January 6th, 20th 2017 / February 3rd, 17th 2017 meetings.

WSFA Journal January-February 2017

Note: Publication date is set to the date of the Journal, rather than the date posted, for indexing purposes

The WSFA First Friday in November, 11/4/16 started at 9:15 with President Bob presiding. Sam L read minutes. Treasurer Sam gave the report. $$ since we paid the hotel bill. The year over year is $??,???.??. Trustees had nothing.

For Capclave past, the chair was not here. There was discussion of registration. There is a core group who loyally come every year of around 200. The number of new people seems to be the same. We went ## in the occassionals. We’re doing fine getting word out, we have a solid core group and it’s building. 16 people since the GRMM year have come each year. We need to increase that or figure out why occassionals weren’t here.

There was a nice thank you letter from Filthy Pierre. We don’t know if broke even yet since don’t have all receipts. Probably close to break even. In terms of getting people, go to regional conventions and promote it. We weren’t getting as many as expected. Prereg at 2016 was up from last year. Books balanced. Thank you to people running reg.

Click the link for the full text of the November/December 2016 WSFA Journal, including the Minutes of the November 4th, 18th 2016 / December 2nd, 16th 2016 meetings.

WSFA Journal November-December 2016

Note: Publication date is set to the date of the Journal, rather than the date posted, for indexing purposes

The Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) is pleased to announce that on October 8th at the Capclave science fiction convention, Martin L. Shoemaker won the 2016 WSFA Small Press Award for best short fiction published by a small press in 2015.

The winner is “Today I Am Paul,” by Martin L. Shoemaker, published in Clarkesworld Magazine, ed. by Neil Clarke and Sean Wallace, (August 2015).

Neil Clarke, publisher of Clarkesworld Magazine, accepted on behalf of Martin Shoemaker, who was unable to attend Capclave.

The other finalists for the 2016 WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction were:

“The Art of Deception,” by Stephanie Burgis in Insert Title Here, ed. by Tehani Wessely, published by Fablecroft Publishing, (April 2015);

“Burn Her,” by Tanith Lee in Dancing Through The Fire, ed. by Ian Randal Strock, published by Fantastic Books (September 2015);

“Cat Pictures Please,” by Naomi Kritzer, published in Clarkesworld Magazine, ed. by Neil Clarke and Sean Wallace, (January 2015);

“The Empress in Her Glory,” by Robert Reed, published in Clarkesworld Magazine, ed. by Neil Clarke and Sean Wallace, (April 2015);

“The Haunting of Apollo A7LB,” by Hannu Rajaniemi in Hannu Rajaniemi: Collected Fiction published by Tachyon Publications, (May 2015);

“Headspace,” by Beth Cato in Cats In Space, ed. by Elektra Hammond, published by Paper Golem LLC, (December 2015);

“Leashing the Muse,” by Larry Hodges, published in Space and Time Magazine, ed. by Hildy Silverman, (May 2015); and

“Leftovers,” by Leona Wisoker in Cats In Space, ed. by Elektra Hammond, published by Paper Golem LLC, (December 2015);

The award honors the efforts of small press publishers in providing a critical venue for short fiction in the area of speculative fiction. The award showcases the best original short fiction published by small presses in the previous year (2015). An unusual feature of the selection process is that all voting is done with the identity of the author (and publisher) hidden so that the final choice is based solely on the quality of the story.

Just a reminder that we won’t be holding our normal 1st Friday meeting on Oct. 7th. Instead the entire club will be ensconced in Gaithersburg MD at Capclave, our annual convention. If you haven’t already bought a membership, you can still get one at the door. It’s going to be an incredible weekend, with two incredible guests of honor, Sarah Beth Durst, and Tim Powers. If you’re not sure who they are, look them up, you won’t be sorry. And in addition to readings, panels, presentations, autographing, filking, and a fully stocked dealer’s room (where WSFA Press Books will be available), we’ll also be announcing the winner of the WSFA Small Press Award on Saturday night.