Bending_the_Landscape Knowpia

Bending the Landscape is the title of an award-winning series of LGBT-themed anthologies of short speculative fiction edited by Nicola Griffith and Stephen Pagel.^[1]^[2] Three books were produced between 1997 and 2002, subtitled Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.^[3] Each volume won LGBT or genre awards.^[4]

Themes edit

The editors asked contributors to "imagine a different landscape... some milieu that had not happened" and then address the theme of Alien or Other, with the Other being a lesbian or gay man. However the stories were not specifically aimed at a gay readership.^[5]^[6] Mark R. Kelly's review in locus magazine bemoaned the anthologies lack of thematic breadth.^[5]

Awards edit

The series received awards including a World Fantasy Award,^[7] two Lambda Literary Awards, and two Gaylactic Spectrum Awards.^[4] Some individual stories contained within were also recipients of awards and nominations.

Bending the Landscape: Fantasy edit

Cover of Bending the Landscape: Fantasy, art by Kevin Murphy.

Published in 1997.^[3]

Awards edit

Lambda Literary Award, Lesbian and Gay Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
World Fantasy Award, Best Anthology

Contents edit

Frost Painting – novelette by Carolyn Ives Gilman
Gary, in the Shadows – shortstory by Mark Shepherd
Prince of the Dark Green Sea – shortstory by Mark McLaughlin
Water Snakes – shortstory by Holly Wade Matter
Gestures Too Late on a Gravel Road – shortstory by Mark W. Tiedemann
The Fall of the Kings (The World of Riverside) – novelette by Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman
Cloudmaker – shortstory by Charlee Jacob
Magicked Tricks – novelette by K. L. Berac
The Sound of Angels – shortstory by Lisa S. Silverthorne
The King's Folly – shortstory by James A. Moore
Beside the Well – shortstory by Leslie What
The Home Town Boy – shortstory by B. J. Thrower
Expression of Desire – shortstory by Dominick Cancilla
There Are Things Which Are Hidden from the Eyes of the Everyday – shortstory by Simon Sheppard
Full Moon and Empty Arms – shortstory by M. W. Keiper
Mahu – novelette by Jeff Verona
The Stars Are Tears – shortstory by Robin Wayne Bailey
Desire – shortstory by Kim Antieau
Young Lady Who Loved Caterpillars – shortstory by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
In Memory of – shortstory by Don Bassingthwaite
In Mysterious Ways – novelette by Tanya Huff
In the House of the Man in the Moon – shortstory by Richard Bowes

Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction edit

Cover of Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction, art by J K Potter.

Published in 1998.^[3]

Awards edit

Lambda Literary Award, Lesbian and Gay Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
Gaylactic Spectrum Award
Stonewall Book Award: Literature (finalist)

Contents edit

Sex, Guns, and Baptists – shortstory by Keith Hartman
Half in Love With Easeful Rock and Roll – shortfiction by Rebecca Ore
Powertool – shortfiction by Mark McLaughlin
Time Gypsy – novelette by Ellen Klages
Lonely Land – shortfiction by Denise Lopes Heald
The Rendez-Vous – shortfiction by Nancy Johnston
Silent Passion – shortfiction by Kathleen O'Malley
Sun-Drenched – shortfiction by Stephen Baxter
The Flying Triangle – [Near Space] – shortfiction by Allen Steele
Brooks Too Broad For Leaping – shortstory by Charles Sheffield
A Real Girl – shortfiction by Shariann Lewitt
Dance at the Edge – novelette by L. Timmel Duchamp
Love's Last Farewell – shortfiction by Richard A. Bamberg
On Vacation – shortfiction by Ralph A. Sperry
The City in Morning – shortstory by Carrie Richerson
State of Nature – shortstory by Nancy Kress
The Beautiful People – shortfiction by Wendy Rathbone
Who Plays With Sin – shortfiction by Don Bassingthwaite
Surfaces – shortfiction by Mark W. Tiedemann
Stay Thy Flight – shortfiction by Élisabeth Vonarburg
Free in Asveroth – shortstory by Jim Grimsley

Bending the Landscape: Horror edit

Cover of Bending the Landscape: Horror, art by J K Potter.

Published in 2001.^[3]

Awards edit

Gaylactic Spectrum Award

Contents edit

Coyote Love – shortstory by Kraig Blackwelder
Explanations Are Clear – novelette by L. Timmel Duchamp
What Are You Afraid Of? – shortstory by Simon Sheppard
The Lost Homeland – novelette by Cynthia Ward
The Man Who Picks the Chamomile – shortstory by Mark McLaughlin
Love on a Stick – novelette by Carrie Richerson
Triangle – shortstory by Ellen Klages
Memorabilia – novelette by Holly Wade Matter
Blood Requiem – shortstory by Gary Bowen
In the Days Still Left – novelette by Brian A. Hopkins and James Van Pelt
Broken Canes – shortstory by Alexi Smart
Keep the Faith – shortstory by A. J. Potter
The WereSlut of Avenue A – shortstory by Leslie What
Kindred – novelette by Alexis Glynn Latner
'Til Death – shortstory by Barbara Hambly
If I Could See Lazarus Rising – novelette by Kathleen O'Malley
The Waltz of the Epileptic Penguins – shortstory by Keith Hartman
Passing – novelette by Mark W. Tiedemann

References edit

^ "Bending the Landscape – Series Bibliography", Internet Speculative Fiction Database, retrieved 16 October 2008
^ "Bending the Landscape". 22 October 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Huber, George K., Anthologies of Gay Fiction, archived from the original on 16 October 2008, retrieved 16 October 2008
^ ^a ^b "The Locus Index to SF Awards", Locus, archived from the original on 24 October 2008, retrieved 16 October 2008
^ ^a ^b "Profiles of Recent Books from reviews in Locus Magazine", Locus, 19 October 1998, retrieved 16 October 2008
^ Pearson, Wendy (March 1999), "Identifying the Alien: Science Fiction Meets Its Other", Science Fiction Studies, 26, vol. Part 1, no. 77, archived from the original on 4 October 2008, retrieved 16 October 2008
^ World Fantasy Convention (2010). "Award Winners and Nominees". Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2011.

Anders, Charlie Jane (25 August 2021). "How Bending the Landscape Helped to Queer Speculative Fiction Forever". Tor.com. Retrieved 29 August 2021.