Mary Anne Mohanraj talks with Liz Gorinsky about the current day author dilemma that is hiring a professional editor or not. Liz Gorinsky is a publisher and editor of speculative fiction, founder and former publisher of Erewhon Books, a former editor for Tor Books, and Hugo Award winner.

Dr. Mary Anne Mohanraj founded Strange Horizons, directs the Speculative Literature Foundation, and has written for George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards superhero series for over a decade. Mohanraj is an English professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Wanna share YOUR work at Deep Dish Readings where you can hang out with authors like Sue Burke? Become a member today: speculativeliterature.org/membership/

STAFF FEATURE: Angeli Primlani is a Chicago-based playwright, director, producer and actor. She was culture and features writer and online editor for The Prague Post in the Czech Republic. She was the founding Artistic Director of Accidental Shakespeare Theatre Company.

In this recent episode of Mohanraj and Rosenbaum are humans, listen to Ruthanna Emrys discuss her vision of the future in A Half-Built Garden. Want to hear more about the socio-political thought behind your favorite sci-fi novels? You can subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform!

In keeping with our theme of "Being an Artists in Difficult Times," here's a clip from a Mohanraj And Rosenbaum Are Humans episode about times of turmoil. In this snippet, Mary Anne talks a bit about finding time to write and how that has become more of a challenge over the course of her career.

We're three weeks in to our membership drive, and nearly halfway to our goal! Will YOU be the member that brings us to 50? You could be, for as little at $2/month! Join us here: speculativeliterature.org/membership/

GRANT FEATURE: The A.C. Bose Grant for South Asian Speculative Literature! In 2019, the Speculative Literature Foundation and DesiLit co-sponsored the A.C. Bose Grant in memory of Ashim Chandra Bose, a lover of books—especially science fiction and fantasy.

In this clip from Mohanraj and Rosenbaum are humans, listen to Ursula Vernon (ie, T. Kingfisher) discuss her writing journey. Wanna hear more anecdotes from your favorite authors? You can follow the show on your preferred podcast platform!

A panel of short fiction editors talk about what they’re looking for in stories right now and what to avoid! What common mistakes do writers make? What makes a story stand out from the slushpile? Panelists: Award-winning editor Lynne Marie Thomas and Jed Hartman. Moderated by Mary Anne Mohanraj.

The SLF’s Working Class Writers Grant awards $1000 annually to assist working class, blue-collar, poor, and homeless writers who have been historically underrepresented in speculative fiction, due to financial barriers. Do you want to support creators of speculative fiction? Join the SLF today!

Happening TODAY! Free virtual panel about writing during crisis. us06web.zoom.us/j/83650201648

Our next staff feature :Sue Bedry (she/hers) is Grants Officer for Times Publishing Company, parent of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Tampa Bay Times newspaper. With SF/F author Rick Wilber, she co-founded the Tampa Bay Times Newspaper in Education Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing Award.

Join us tomorrow for a chat about the role of an artist during crisis. us06web.zoom.us/j/83650201648

What is the role of an artist amidst turmoil? If you've been asking yourself this question, join us for our virtual panel: Challenges of Being an Artist in Difficult Times, Saturday July 25 3PM CDT. Link to join: us06web.zoom.us/j/83650201648

We're halfway through the Membership Drive, and 30% of the way to our goal! We're thrilled about all the new members, and we know we can bump that number up EVEN MORE. You can become an SLF member RIGHT NOW for just $2! Get access to resources, community, and more.

In this episode of MRAH (Flying Cars and Homosexuals), Benjamin Rosenbaum is joined by Sophia Babai to fill in for Mary Anne Mohanraj. Together they catch up on the time they've missed, discuss queerness in literature, and their unique solutions to age-old writing problems.

Andy Duncan and Mary Anne Mohanraj talk about the different music tastes and their importance to a story. Andy Duncan is a professor of English at Frostburg State University in the western Maryland mountains.

STAFF FEATURE: Connor Nevitt (he/him) earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a Creative Writing concentration from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Born in Santa Clarita, CA, he seeks to make a name for himself in the speculative fiction world.

The SLF’s Older Writers Grant awards $1,000 annually to assist writers age 50+ who are just beginning their careers in speculative fiction. Do you want to support creators of speculative fiction? Join the SLF today!

Another grant feature! Today we're looking at the Gulliver Travel Grant, which allows writers to travel in order to research their speculative work. More info here: speculativeliterature.org/grants-3/the...

Registration is now open for the SLF's Summer 2026 Mini-Workshop! This 2-day, in-person only workshop is a series of talks, exercises, and seminars designed to inspire, dig deep, and kickstart your writing praxis. The deadline to register is August 1. Link: speculativeliterature.org/register/sum...

Registration is now open for the SLF's Summer 2026 Mini-Workshop! This 2-day, in-person only workshop is a series of talks, exercises, and seminars designed to inspire, dig deep, and kickstart your writing praxis. The deadline to register is August 1. speculativeliterature.org/register/sum...

Writers from George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards and Ellen Kushner’s Tremontaine come together to talk about the challenges and delights of working in a shared universe. Panelists: Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, Walter Jon Williams, and David D. Levine . Moderated by Mary Anne Mohanraj, SLF Director.

Membership – Speculative Literature Foundation

The SLF is dedicated to promoting diverse voices and literary quality in speculative fiction. We accomplish this goal through your support in encouraging promising new writers, assisting established…

speculativeliterature.org

Join up, folks! The SLF does great work (I work with them, after all, and I'm moderately acceptable). Workshops, readings, educational material, grants for writers, and more. Support the org. Help it keep thriving!

Speculative Literature Foundation@speclit.bsky.social · 3w ago

Look at us go! After one week, we're already at 27% of our new membership goal, and we've made $781 in donations. Thank you all, and please spread the word so we can keep building our community! Join us at: speculativeliterature.org/membership/

Look at us go! After one week, we're already at 27% of our new membership goal, and we've made $781 in donations. Thank you all, and please spread the word so we can keep building our community! Join us at: speculativeliterature.org/membership/

Did you know that the SLF has a podcast? On Mohanraj and Rosenbaum are Humans, the titular Mary Anne Mohanraj and Benjamin Rosenbaum discuss books, philosophy, politics, and all things speculative. They often feature guest writers to discuss their work. Here’s a little sample.

Miss the Membership Drive Kick-Off Panel? That's alright! We recorded it for you :) Here at the SLF, we've got you covered. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud1g...

Here is a snippet from one of our deep dives with author Kate Elliot! Kate Elliott has been publishing science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories for over 30 years with a particular focus in immersive world building and epic stories of adventure & transformative cultural change.

The SLF strives to make an impact in the lives of speculative fiction writers, especially those who are underrepresented. That’s why it offers a wide variety of grants to different demographics! To start off with, we’re featuring the Diverse Writers Grant AND the Diverse Worlds Grant.