Notices by Yoko's Asterisk 🏳️‍⚧ (charliejane@wandering.shop)

When people ask, "How can I promote my art when the world is going to shit"

I hear that as, "How do I have the right to make art when the world is going to shit"

And...

We need art more than ever during such times. You need to be making art more than ever during such times. And promoting it is part of the process.

I wrote my final book review column for the Washington Post a while back. (I didn't know it was the last one of course.) I was worried it might not even run since the book section is ending, but thanks to the heroic efforts of editor Jacob Brogan, here it is:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2026/02/10/best-new-science-fiction-fantasy/

And these are books I feel lucky to get to shout about!

📕 The Hospital at the End of the World by Justin C. Key
📕 To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose
📕 The Queen of Faces by Petra Lord
📕 The Age of Calamities: Stories by Senaa Ahmad

Incredible reads, all of them!

ICYMI my friend Hailey needs your support. She's an incredible trans/travesti writer, educator, translator and activist in Brazil. Her mom has cancer and she's been unable to work while taking care of her.

Please give whatever you can spare: https://ko-fi.com/haileykaas

"At every turn, Blake's 7 takes pains to show us that there are people working within the Federation who truly believe in the rule of law and civil society — and those people are fools."

Now that the classic British TV show Blake's 7 is getting rebooted, I offer some tips:

https://buttondown.com/charliejane/archive/how-to-reboot-blakes-7/

My latest newsletter is about one of my writing pet peeves.

I *hate* it when a novel gives its main character a personal epiphany on page 300 that:

a) could have happened on page 30 instead bc it was already clear
b) is ridic embarrassingly obvious and surface-level

https://buttondown.com/charliejane/archive/one-of-my-worst-writing-pet-peeves-and-how-to/

This Saturday! I'll be at StoryFest in Westport CT, talking about Lessons in Magic and Disaster. Some of my fav writers and humans will also be there. Come hang out with us!!!

Today is National Coming Out Day!

It's also Freedom to Read Day, aka the last day of Banned Books Week.

This feels right — because the main reason they try to ban books is to keep people from dreaming they could ever come out.

My latest newsletter: https://buttondown.com/charliejane/archive/they-want-to-ban-books-to-keep-us-from-coming-out/

East Bay peeps! Come see me and FOUR other incredible speculative fiction authors talking about our books at Pegasus Books, 2349 Shattuck Ave. Weds. Oct 1 @ 7 PM.

Featuring @Gaileyfrey, @annaleen, Susanna Kwan and Lio Min.

Deets: https://pegasusbookstore.com/bay-area-sci-fi

Baltimore! I have left signed and doodled copies of Lessons in Magic and Disaster at Red Emma's and Atomic Books 🙀😻😹

This Friday! I'm hosting a FREE reading in San Francisco, featuring some incredible trans and queer voices. We'll require masks and, weather permitting, have the whole giant balcony open so you can sit in the outside air. We'll be totally bonkular.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writers-with-drinks-featuring-caro-de-robertis-michal-mj-jones-and-more-tickets-1637148006759?aff=oddtdtcreator

Some dipshits have taken to calling the majority of humans "NPCs". Meaning we lack agency and don't think for ourselves.

These are the same folks who want us to become dependent on A.I., which will make us lack agency and be unable to think for ourselves.

My latest: https://buttondown.com/charliejane/archive/they-call-us-npcs-because-thats-what-they-want-us/

🔥 James Bond shows the way to save tentpole movies

🔥 Doctor Who should try doing more hard science fiction

🔥 Robert Pattinson should be the DCU's Batman

It's a trio of scorching hot takes!

https://buttondown.com/charliejane/archive/its-another-basket-full-of-mini-rants/

I just signed a ton of copies of Lessons in Magic and Disaster at Elliot Bay Book Co!

"Pre-ordering is inherently a hopeful, forward-looking action that declares that we will survive, and there will be wonderful books for us to read when we do."

My latest newsletter is about why book pre-orders help to make you more of a citizen of the book world:

https://buttondown.com/charliejane/archive/pre-ordering-books-makes-you-more-of-a-citizen-of/

"There’s something kind of magical about realizing that everyone in a story is a person, and nobody is an NPC."

My latest newsletter is about who gets to have a POV in your story, and why this is kind of a political question: https://buttondown.com/charliejane/archive/who-gets-a-pov-in-your-story-its-a-political/

Seattle!!! Aug 14! You can now get tickets for Writers With Drinks featuring Cecilia Tan, Darcie Little Badger, Becky Chambers, Annalee Newitz, and me!

https://townhallseattle.org/event/writers-with-drinks/

You can buy a copy of Lessons in Magic and Disaster a few days early! Plus all the other authors' books!

Thank you SO MUCH for helping this local SF trans nerd who is facing housing insecurity. Alas, her situation has not gotten better as we'd hoped. I hate to ask again, but if you could spare a few bucks, it would really mean a lot. 💝

https://www.gofundme.com/f/trans-women-seeking-help-with-rent-living-expenses

Hey hey HEY!

I just updated the official Writers With Drinks site with info on *two* upcoming shows:

http://www.writerswithdrinks.com

Yes, it looks like a site I hand-coded in 2003. Shut up!

But please come to these shows and tell all yr friends! <3

"Heartfelt and heart-wrenching in the best ways, this novel is about grief and belonging, recovery, healing, and love... Highly recommended, like the most comforting of hugs from a loved one at a difficult time."

So grateful for this incredibly generous review for LESSONS IN MAGIC AND DISASTER from @lynnemthomas 💝

https://lynnemthomas.com/2025/06/12/book-review-lessons-in-magic-and-disaster/