Online chatter about the New Year, New You anthology intrigued me, so I was extremely excited to read the ARC—and I wasn’t disappointed! I read the whole thing twice! From the unsettling tension of the first story to the bittersweet triumph of the final piece, each of these stories is meticulously crafted. Readers will find wonder, fury, and excitement in these pages, but most welcome to me is the underlying theme of hope. I can’t highlight any specific stories because they’re all standouts.
In the interview below, anthology editor Chris Campbell predicts these authors each have a bright future. I agree completely. These are writers to watch! (Check out previous Q&As with anthology authors Julie Danvers and Ash Howell.)
Chris had to steal time from a wildly busy schedule to answer my questions—thank you, Chris!
An anthology of diverse speculative fiction exploring themes of reinvention, re-imagining, and revolution, from Elizabeth Bear, Daryl Gregory, and alumni of the 2023 Viable Paradise Writers’ Workshop
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Myna: Tell us about New Year, New You! How did this anthology come about?
Chris: New Year, New You! An Anthology of Speculative Fiction and Reinvention began as a common workshop conversation—writers dreaming of how amazing it would be to share a table of contents. What makes this anthology different is that we didn’t let the idea fade away after the workshop ended. My cohort from Viable Paradise VP2023 kept the momentum going, with people stepping up to volunteer for various roles and offering their expertise.
As more contributors came forward, the project gained serious traction, and when Elizabeth Bear and Daryl Gregory both agreed to participate, everything seemed to fall into place.
Myna: What themes are explored in this anthology?
Chris: This anthology of diverse and queer speculative fiction delves into themes of reinvention, transformation. Our writers drew from a wide range of traditions to grapple with issues of identity and self-actualization, posing important questions about how we define personhood and reflecting on how often the human question is overlooked in our everyday lives.
Myna: What’s unique about this book?
Chris: I think the most interesting thing about this anthology is that it offers a sneak peek into the future of speculative fiction. I believe that within the next five or ten years people will be looking at this anthology with amazement because of how many household names it will have introduced.
Myna: When a reader finishes the last word in the book, what emotion will they be feeling?
Chris: If I did my job right when our readers turn the final page they will feel an itch to turn back to page one and start the book again. These stories are so varied and unique, yet the anthology as a whole also engages in conversation with itself and between our contributors that invites multiple readings.
Myna: If the collection had a theme song, what would it be?
Chris: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger- Daft Punk
Myna: Were there any surprises or problems along the route to publishing?
Chris: I hope I’m not tempting fate to teach me a lesson, but the biggest surprise was how easy the process was. Then again, this wasn’t a class project where everything landed on one person’s lap. We have over a dozen volunteers, each putting in significant effort, and everyone to a person delivered much more than what they promised.
Myna: What was your favorite part of editing the anthology?
Chris: I think my favorite part was how well each of these writers represented their voice. I think every reader is going to come away thinking they need to start following these writers’ careers.
Myna: Now let’s talk about your own writing. You’ve recently completed two incredible workshops. Can you tell us a bit about both?
Chris: Yes, I am an alumnus of Viable Paradise and the Clarion West Writers’ Workshop. I want to start by acknowledging that the ability to participate in workshops like these is predicated on a certain amount of privilege and not simply talent. Viable Paradise is a one-week intensive led by industry giants, offering a concentrated burst of learning and networking. Clarion West, the oldest speculative fiction workshop in the world, spans six weeks and features a rotating roster of esteemed writers and editors as instructors. Each week at Clarion West includes writing a new story and critiquing peers’ work. Both workshops are exceptional, and both forced me to challenge myself in different ways, and with both I can honestly say I went for the craft but it’s the people I’ve gained in my life that I value the most.
Myna: What genres do you enjoy writing? Do you have specific topics or themes that haunt you? How would you describe your writing style?
Chris: This is very interesting as a writer emerging from the Clarion West experience. Six weeks ago, I would have answered this question easily. Now after writing two novelettes, three short stories, and a flash piece each in a radically different style I have a lot less certainty and a lot to ponder about the essential element/s of my authorial voice. However, I can share how one of my cohort members described my writing style: gripping characters, openings that blister, and endings that sing all set in worlds you want to keep exploring even after the stories’ end.
Myna: What is your process like? Where do you find inspiration?
Chris: My process is about finding the place to drop into a story. Sometimes it’s a what if scenario, sometimes it’s a scene, sometimes it’s just a character or a line of dialogue but once I have that thing that pulls me in, I start asking questions.
Fear and failure inspire me. My first major undertaking as a writer was a novel that never came together. It has a beginning a middle and an end and all of them are ugly–and something about that failure still fires me up. I also ask myself with every project to find something in it that intimidates me, because if I’m not even the least bit afraid of what I’m working on, then what the heck am I even doing it for?
Myna: Tell us about a recent accomplishment or share some happy news with us!
Chris: Thanks for asking! I’m excited about my novelette, In the Palace of Science, which was published in the May/June issue of Asimov’s Magazine. One of my favorite reviews ‘you can almost smell the pulp on the paper of one of Hugo Granville’s old issues of Astounding while you’re reading it,’ I can’t think of higher praise. The story is an Afrofuturist tale that combines classic cosmic horror with a Black lead addressing Black issues—so while it feels like something from Astounding it’s also something Hugo Granville would never have published. I see it as my little contribution to back filling the cannon to better resemble the America that was.
I also have a story I’m very proud of, “Nightskin’s Landing,” coming out in khōréō magazine in just a couple of weeks on Sept 15th.
Myna: Which mode of transportation would you prefer: electric seahorse, cyborg dragon, raven-starship hybrid, or something else (explain!)?
Chris: Raven-starship hybrid seems like the obvious choice. I would assume that upon becoming the captain of such a ship one would gain an assortment of raven themed uniforms and gadgets, and perhaps if I’m lucky a set of raven related benefits/powers like a natural corvid affinity or flight.
Myna: Do you have a pet, or other hobbies/activities? Show us a picture!
Chris: This is January she is a very typical vampire upside down dog.
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Chris Campbell is a writer of speculative fiction whose work has appeared in Asimov’s Magazine, FIYAH Magazine, and khōréō. Chris’ contributions to Afrofuturist literature has received the generous support of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He aims to recontextualize the past to center Black people in their own narratives and use fiction to craft yet unimagined futures. He reads for Apex Magazine and is an alumnus of the Viable Paradise and Clarion West writing workshops. Represented by Sara Megibow of KT Literary, Chris is currently serving as the editor of New Year, New You: A Speculative Fiction Anthology of Reinvention. Connect with him online at clundycampbell.com.
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