Stories by J.R. Dawson
Novels:
THE FIRST BRIGHT THING / Tor (Summer 2023)
(Click here for TOR.com announcement)
(Click here for preorder)
The Ringmaster's circus is real magic, and she grants real wishes. But with the Circus King drawing nearer, she might have to give everything in order to protect those she loves.
"UNTITLED GHOST BOOK" / Tor (TBA)
Short Stories:
"She'd Never Had a Name Before" / Lightspeed Magazine (January 2020 issue)
(Click Here for Eligibility 2021) (Click Here to Read) (Click Here to Listen) (Interview about "Name" at Lightspeed)
A young college student gets the chance to meet a sister who never was, thanks to a dimensional leap.
"You Ask Me to Tell You a Story"/Daily Science Fiction (September 2019)
(Click Here for Eligibility 2020) (Click Here to Read)
A woman living underground tells a story about the world above.
"When We Flew Together Through the Ice" / The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (November/December 2018 issue)
(Buy Here) (Click Here for Eligibility 2019) (Interview about "When We Flew" at F&SF blog)
Merribelle's mother once was a pilot, just like Merribelle once was a brave little girl. But now her mother has kidnapped her into space and fitted her with an artificial conscience that has glitched and malfunctioned to the point where Merribelle doesn't know who she is anymore. But when her sister offers her a way out, she doesn't know if she can leave.
"Marley and Marley" / The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (November/December 2017 issue)
Reprint in The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy, ed. Rich Horton (2018)
Reprint in Escape Pod, January 9
(Buy Here) (Click here for Eligibility 2018) (Interview on "Marley and Marley" at F&SF blog)
(Escape Pod reprint here)
After her parents die, twelve-year-old Marley's only remaining relative lives in the future. And is Marley herself. A story about grief, time travel, and turkey burgers. Listed on the Suggested Reading List for Nebulas 2018. Award eligible for 2018.
"I Set My Ship to the Brightest Star" / NonBinary Review: Hans Christian Anderson (Summer 2017)
(Click here to read) (Click here to listen) (Thoughts on "I Set My Ship to the Brightest Star")
Gerda watched Kai desert their home planet at a young age, and she's never given up looking for her. Now an old woman, Gerda hears her old friend's voice call her name through the stars.
"The Woman on the Rock" / Silk Road Review (February 2017)
(Click here to read)
She wanted to make a difference. When she signed up to keep watch at the edge of the galaxy, three years didn't sound too long. But now with her husband back on Earth, it might as well be forever.
"The Legendary Legend of the Darkly's Slayer" / Mothership Zeta (Issue V, 2017)
(Reprinted in Event Horizon 2018)
(Click here to read) (Thoughts on "Legendary Legend")
Kennefick Gilding was a legend. No, really, he's the important one here. Pay no attention to Annie. She's just the sidekick. In stories like these, she's totally not going to be a big deal later on. Seriously.
BLOGS AND ARTICLES:
The MFA Years (Click here to read)
The Nebulas: or How I Learned to Love the Con (SFWA Bulletin Vol. 52)
PLAYS:
"Imagination"/ICFA Flash Play Festival/ March 2023
"When We Go Away"/Institute of Holocaust Education and Circle Theatre/ November 2021
"The Things We Saved from the Rot"/ Paragon Play Festival/ Otherworld Theater / November 2018
"The Things We Saved from the Rot" / ICFA Flash Play Festival / March 2018
"Prairie Women" / Woven: Woman in Omaha / October 6, 2017
"The Nation" / DePaul University and Omaha Public Schools / 2010 and 2012
"Shiloh"/ Wrights of Spring, American Theater Company, and Chicago Dramatists / 2008 - 2009
"To Arms" / Chicago Dramatists and Circus Theatricals / 2008
THE FIRST BRIGHT THING / Tor (Summer 2023)
(Click here for TOR.com announcement)
(Click here for preorder)
The Ringmaster's circus is real magic, and she grants real wishes. But with the Circus King drawing nearer, she might have to give everything in order to protect those she loves.
"UNTITLED GHOST BOOK" / Tor (TBA)
Short Stories:
"She'd Never Had a Name Before" / Lightspeed Magazine (January 2020 issue)
(Click Here for Eligibility 2021) (Click Here to Read) (Click Here to Listen) (Interview about "Name" at Lightspeed)
A young college student gets the chance to meet a sister who never was, thanks to a dimensional leap.
"You Ask Me to Tell You a Story"/Daily Science Fiction (September 2019)
(Click Here for Eligibility 2020) (Click Here to Read)
A woman living underground tells a story about the world above.
"When We Flew Together Through the Ice" / The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (November/December 2018 issue)
(Buy Here) (Click Here for Eligibility 2019) (Interview about "When We Flew" at F&SF blog)
Merribelle's mother once was a pilot, just like Merribelle once was a brave little girl. But now her mother has kidnapped her into space and fitted her with an artificial conscience that has glitched and malfunctioned to the point where Merribelle doesn't know who she is anymore. But when her sister offers her a way out, she doesn't know if she can leave.
"Marley and Marley" / The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (November/December 2017 issue)
Reprint in The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy, ed. Rich Horton (2018)
Reprint in Escape Pod, January 9
(Buy Here) (Click here for Eligibility 2018) (Interview on "Marley and Marley" at F&SF blog)
(Escape Pod reprint here)
After her parents die, twelve-year-old Marley's only remaining relative lives in the future. And is Marley herself. A story about grief, time travel, and turkey burgers. Listed on the Suggested Reading List for Nebulas 2018. Award eligible for 2018.
"I Set My Ship to the Brightest Star" / NonBinary Review: Hans Christian Anderson (Summer 2017)
(Click here to read) (Click here to listen) (Thoughts on "I Set My Ship to the Brightest Star")
Gerda watched Kai desert their home planet at a young age, and she's never given up looking for her. Now an old woman, Gerda hears her old friend's voice call her name through the stars.
"The Woman on the Rock" / Silk Road Review (February 2017)
(Click here to read)
She wanted to make a difference. When she signed up to keep watch at the edge of the galaxy, three years didn't sound too long. But now with her husband back on Earth, it might as well be forever.
"The Legendary Legend of the Darkly's Slayer" / Mothership Zeta (Issue V, 2017)
(Reprinted in Event Horizon 2018)
(Click here to read) (Thoughts on "Legendary Legend")
Kennefick Gilding was a legend. No, really, he's the important one here. Pay no attention to Annie. She's just the sidekick. In stories like these, she's totally not going to be a big deal later on. Seriously.
BLOGS AND ARTICLES:
The MFA Years (Click here to read)
The Nebulas: or How I Learned to Love the Con (SFWA Bulletin Vol. 52)
PLAYS:
"Imagination"/ICFA Flash Play Festival/ March 2023
"When We Go Away"/Institute of Holocaust Education and Circle Theatre/ November 2021
"The Things We Saved from the Rot"/ Paragon Play Festival/ Otherworld Theater / November 2018
"The Things We Saved from the Rot" / ICFA Flash Play Festival / March 2018
"Prairie Women" / Woven: Woman in Omaha / October 6, 2017
"The Nation" / DePaul University and Omaha Public Schools / 2010 and 2012
"Shiloh"/ Wrights of Spring, American Theater Company, and Chicago Dramatists / 2008 - 2009
"To Arms" / Chicago Dramatists and Circus Theatricals / 2008