So, I managed to get my review of The Expanse out on time this week, but nothing else to speak of. It’s disappointing, but I’m starting to feel like this cyclical sort of pattern of productivity may be a new normal for a little while, though I do have some plans this week to try and institute some new routines that I think are going to help. Mostly, this will involve exercising–outdoors, since it’s unseasonably warm out–and unplugging from the internet for at least a couple of hours a day so I can work without distractions.

Everything is pretty terrible right now, and sort-of-joking about how I get to spend every day watching the fall of American democracy isn’t working as a coping mechanism. Things are getting more and more genuinely frightening and worrisome every day; everyone at my congressman’s office hates me because I call all the time; and the reality is that my personal power to change things is very limited. My sitting around being horrified and anxious and feeling helpless all the time doesn’t do anyone any good, least of all myself.

On the bright side, I read quite a lot this week. I finished Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty, The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley, and Matt Wallace’s new Sin du Jour novella, Idle Ingredients. I’m also in the middle of Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly right now, but I’m hoping to finish it tonight or early tomorrow, so I ought to have several book reviews to publish this week. I’ve also got a project to work on that I’ve teased a little before but am hoping to dig into for real this week.

No promises about how much I’ll actually accomplish, though, to myself or otherwise. I figure low expectations may be the key to happiness and satisfaction at this point.

Uncanny Magazine released the second half of their Issue 14 content this week. If you haven’t seen it yet, Delilah S. Dawson’s essay “I Have Never Not Been An Object” is a must-read.

And the Tansy Rayner Roberts’ short “Some Cupids Kill With Arrows” is quick, funny, and festively-appropriate right now.

There’s a great new interview with Nisi Shawl over at Apex, and Nisi shares some exciting news at the very end.

Worlds Without End has a new list of science fiction by women writers. It’s heavy on classic work and only 98 titles long, but there’s a decent enough selection if that’s the sort of thing you’re looking for.

There’s just another couple of days to back Problem Daughters–“an anthology of science fiction & fantasy from the fringes of feminism”–and they’re very close to their full goal. To promote the project, there’s an Intersectional SFF Roundtable at Apex. [I didn’t feel able to adequately explain my weird feelings about this link and the use of the term “intersectional” but several other writers, including L.D. Lewis and Justina Ireland have explained it at length. Currently, Apex has released a half-assed apology for something about the piece and removed it from their site, and I’m just following the arguments about it all now. I apologize for any harm that may have been caused by my own uncritical sharing of the link.] Future Fire also published a roundtable discussion this week, this one on female protagonists.

Kameron Hurley and Lara Elena Donnelly were busy promoting their respective novels this week.

At Tor.com, Kameron Hurley talked about worldbuilding and challenging expectations in “Who Owns the Stars? Creating a Space Opera Universe”.

Terrible Minds hosted both authors this week, Hurley wrote about writing during times of political upheaval, and Lara Elena Donnelly listed five things she learned writing Amberlough.

At Mary Robinette Kowal’s blog, Hurley and Donnelly each wrote about their favorite bits of their stories.

And at John Scalzi’s blog as well, Hurley and Donnelly tackled the Big Ideas in their work.