February | March 2024

Greetings!

In this issue: an announcement about a coming change to the Gazette, a book recommendation for those who love novels about ragtag crews doing stuff in space, and my stories of forbidden frontiers from February.
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CHANGES COMING...

To anyone who is new here, the Gazette has thus far been a monthly publication. Starting in April 2024, I plan to send two issues per month.

Why the change? 🤨 Because each issue gets long when I include a round-up of all the short stories and podcast episodes I’ve released over the month, a feature section where I suggest stories centered on a theme, and then maybe a book or podcast recommendation.

So, here’s the plan. 🧐 Halfway through the month, I’ll send out an issue with a feature article highlighting my own stories, and/or recommending a podcast, book or some other media. At the end of the month, I’ll send the issue with the round-up of that month’s stories and podcast episodes. Often times, I’ve held back an issue because I’m late with posting trailers. I’ll stop doing that. If I’m behind on trailers, I’ll just send you directly to the story or episode.

If you’ve got feedback on this change, now or later, please let me know. You can just reply to these emails.

Speaking of trailers, here's a GIF preview of my favorite one from February. Press the image to watch the trailer (and listen to the episode.)

WHAT I'M READING OR LISTENING TO

We’re well into 2024, but I only just finished reading the first novel I picked up this year and I loved it, and I really needed it.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. 🪐

I chose this story because it's about a "motley crew" of people (some of whom are non-human) who live and work on a spaceship. 🚀

And. That. Is. My. Jam. It's just what I needed after all the recent upheavals in my life, both the good and the unfortunate. In this lifetime, I'll never be the captain of my own ragtag crew of found family on a ship we all love, but I will certainly keep writing and reading stories about this beloved theme.

Even better, I didn't realize the book was written in 2015 and there are 3 more books in the series already. (Rubs hands together as I anticipate spending more time in this world.)

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Maybe you’ve already been reading the works of Becky Chambers and you’re wondering what rock I’ve been hiding under. 🤓

But if you haven’t, and this theme is also your jam (and butter on bread with a cup of tea), and you’re trying to decide what to read next, do check this one out.
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Here's a round-up of the short stories and podcast episodes I released over February 2024.

SHORT STORIES

Click the banner above to go to the Year Eleven page.
Click the story title to go directly to the story post, or the button to watch a trailer and learn a bit more about the story before you decide if you want to read it.

~MARCH STORIES~

The monthly theme for March is Machines and Devices—it's Marchinery (does that work?). So a machine itself could the frontier, like in the first story of the month. Or maybe the frontier is a new use for a machine that already serves a familiar function. Or maybe someone has invented a machine that can replicate abilities that most people don't seem to have.

PODCAST EPISODES

Click the banner above to go to the Season Seven page.
Click the buttons below to watch a trailer, listen to the episode, and read the story.

I noted that we’re well into 2024, and yet I’m just beginning to feel that the ground under my feet is somewhat steady. The ongoing theme of these first few months has been to keep chugging along and making progress, however small. And for me, of course, it’s been essential to keep on creating. May you too walk on steady ground and a clear path.
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​Till next time.
—Nila