Interview with Science Fiction Writer Nisi Shawl

Sci-fi short story powerhouse Nisi Shawl, winner of the 2008 James Tiptree, Jr. Award, is co-editing the anthology, Stories for Chip: A Tribute to Samuel R. Delany. Midwest BSFA talked to her about the anthology, her writing and why representation is important.

Being Black and Female in Steampunk

When I started getting into steampunk a couple of years ago, my first question was “There’s no slavery in this, right?” I was met with a very emphatic “NO!” It’s not like I didn’t have a right to ask. Any hobby that takes bits and pieces from a century that was horrific for at least 95% of the world’s population gets a very strong and lingering side eye. I began to feel more comfortable with steampunk when I stopped thinking about it from the standpoint of what was and started visualizing what never was but could’ve been. That, however, took some work.