Sophie Garcia
i'm a published author!
I'm a published author!
I wrote the first short story in my collection of science fiction in response to a prompt I saw online for Indigenous science fiction. My story, Sinking Cities tells the story of a recovering friendship between two urban Natives set in San Francisco and Mexico City. This is a love note to these places I call home and whom I see in everything, everywhere I go. Both these cities are surrealistic, highly metropolitan, with real rich histories and potential for both utopias and dystopias. While I don’t like to In my story, it takes place in the not-so distant future. Things like land trusts for Natives, indigenous technology, and anti-surveillance fashion are all in there. So are things like climate change, Latin-American femicide, and gentrification. Mental health and homelessness are also highlighted. This short story is incredibly personal, all in some way inspired by real people and events in my vida loca. I submitted late to Flame Tree Publishing but, as I told the editor – it would be well worth their time and consideration. I’m proud to hold proof of that now. Now, some words from the publisher:
We’re pleased to announce the authors included in our upcoming anthology: First Peoples Shared Stories! Earlier this year, we opened for submissions on this theme (whether speculative, fantastic, sacred or folkloric) from writers with appropriate heritage in order to widen the door to creativity, to celebrate the international diversity of indigenous backgrounds and storytelling cultures. The book, due to be published in early October 2022 (UK) and mid-November 2022 (North America), combines new and contemporary stories with classic and ancient origin stories and oral traditions from around the world, to bring new perspectives and attention to the legacy of Indigenous Peoples, First Peoples. Award-winning Māori novelist, short story writer, essayist, and editor Paula Morris provides the foreword, alongside an introduction by Dr. Eldon Yellowhorn, author of Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People and more. With invaluable editorial support from professor and Indigenous literature specialist Marc André Fortin, we’re delighted to have chosen the stories below for inclusion:
An Unwanted Two-Spirit, and The Man Who Lost Himself by Chukwu Sunday Abel
Anansi, the World, and the Stories by Laura Barker
Potter’s Field by Shelley Burne-Field
Sunset on Mars by Gina Cole
Finding Home by Kylie Fennell
Sinking Cities by Sophie Garcia
Grass Dancer by Owl Goingback
Imitate by Shane Hawk
Whole by Somto Ihezue
Little Pieces of Flint by D.K. Lawhorn
The Call of Ancestors, and
Yeredzo River by Tsitsi Mapepa
Buuts’ Ka Luuk’ by Arnoldo Millán Zubia
Red Christmas, and
Three Princesses by Paula Morris
A Mother’s Lament, and
Biter’s Tale by Weyodi OldBear
A Mayan Story by Claudia Recinos Seldeen
When Angels Come Knocking by Drew Hayden Taylor
Beaver’s Tail, and
The Three Sisters, and
Woodchuck Winter by Brigit Truex
Mexpakinte, the Shadow Woman by Pedro Vázquez Luna (told by David J. Schmidt)
Glade of the Uncles by Jay Hansford C. Vest
Snow Blindness by Laika Wallace
These contemporary authors will appear alongside classic stories transcribed from oral traditions belonging to such peoples and cultures as Yana, Zuni, Blackfeet, Pima, Chippewa, Osage (Native American); Filipino; Tongan; Hawaiian; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; Māori; Aztec, Maya, Mexican; Incan, Peruvian; Ugandan; Zanzibari; Tanzanian; Nigerian; Basotho; Ndau (Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi); Hausa (southern Niger and northern Nigeria); Manyema (Congo); Swahili (east Africa); Ekoi (Nigeria and Cameroon); Banyarwanda (Rwanda); and Zaramo, Chaga (Tanzania). Though we cannot hope to cover everywhere, we hope it offers a glimpse of the wealth – and importance – of storytelling heritage around the world.
This book will be available to buy later this year via book stores, Amazon, and our website page for First Peoples Shared Stories!
