January 2022

Close on the heels of releasing DreamForge Anvil #6, we’ve combined all Anvil stories from the second half of 2021 into a Print Version of DreamForge Magazine # 9. DFM #9 is available in print at Amazon. You’ll find great stories from experienced masters like John Jos. Miller, Bruce McAllister, and Elaine Cunningham, along with emerging authors and a great first-time performance by A. J. Mietke.

As 2022 gets underway, we’ll be introducing new writing challenges for our DreamCaster writing and discussion group. In our monthly DreamCasters meetings, we teach story structure and structure variations, pacing, character development, and more.

DreamCaster challenges can lead to publication, with two stories purchased in 2021, and Ana Sun’s “Dandelion Brew,” published by the end of the year, made it to Tangent’s Recommended Reading List for 2021.

Learn more about DreamCasters at https://dreamforgemagazine.com/dreamcasters/

Join DreamCasters by supporting us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DreamForgePress

5 DreamForge stories in 2021 made the Tangent Recommended Reading list this year. Check out Tangent’s entire 2021 list at https://bit.ly/32JQxHr

From DreamForge: (Free online for your enjoyment)

• “I Will Never Fly Again” by Jonathon Mast (DreamForge Anvil #2, 4/21) F (VS) https://bit.ly/neverflyagain
• “Huddle” by Monica Joyce Evans (DreamForge Anvil #4, 8/21) SF (KPH) https://bit.ly/DF-Anvil-4-Huddle
• “Dandelion Brew” by Ana Sun (DreamForge Anvil #6, 12-1/21-22) SF (VS) https://bit.ly/Ana-Sun-Dandelion-Brew
• “Sidha” by Bruce McAllister (DreamForge Anvil #6, 12-1/21-22) SF (VS) https://bit.ly/McAllister-Sidha
• “Eat and be Eaten” by J. L. Akagi (DreamForge Anvil #4, 8/21) F* (KPH) https://bit.ly/DF-Anvil-4-Eat-be-Eaten

Join us on January 15^th at 1:00 pm ET for the PARSEC (Pittsburgh’s premier Science Fiction and Fantasy organization’s) January ZOOM meeting. We bring in the New Year with a guest panel on Costuming and Cosplay! Welcome Lisa Ashton, Karen Schnaubelt, and Pam Smith, all highly active in the costume community and willing to share their decades of experience with us, providing insights and perspectives into a rich, beautiful, and creative world.

The art of costuming goes both go far beyond “what should I wear to the costume party?”  This is research, imagination, performance, and meticulous detail; the honing of skills that take many years to bring to perfection. After each accomplishment, there is always the next challenge, including months of planning, preparation, and hard work.

With Cosplay, the commitment is more than just the clothes. It’s becoming the character and creating a theatrical performance. Cosplay often involves community and charity work and being a part of events. It can range from taking on TV, movie, and comic characters to historical reenactments like the Civil War.

We look forward to gaining a glimpse inside the worlds of Costuming and Cosplay and how they enrich the lives of these very talented women.

Pam Smith (Dame Dahlia) is a cosplayer from Central Pennsylvania and is an active member of the Central Pennsylvania Heroes Coalition and Philadelphia Avengers which are charity-oriented cosplay groups.  She has been cosplaying for 15 years and enjoys cosplaying strong female characters.  She is originally from Dallas, Texas, and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. “I am an advocate for civil rights and equality. I believe in cos-positivity and that cosplay and costuming should be embraced by anyone who puts a costume together.”

Karen Schnaubelt is a 1995 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient from the International Costumers’ Guild. Inc. From Costume.org: “Karen Schnaubelt took the dream of more costume programming for fans and gathered enough people to found Costume-Con. A con needs an organization, so she started the Fantasy Costumers Guild, which after many years and convolutions, became the ICG. She also took many costumers’ file cards, note sheets, and phone books full of good costume resources, and along with programmer friends and family created Whole Costumer’s Catalogue.”

Lisa Ashton is a 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient from the International Costumers’ Guild. Inc. From Costume.org: “Lisa Ashton has been active in the costuming community since 1989 when she attended her first Worldcon. She has been recognized as a Master Costumer who is renowned for her workmanship, especially in beading. Known as an expert in 19th century historical costuming, Lisa founded the ICG’s first Special Interest Group, “Miss Lizzy’s Traveling Historical Fashion Show,” which exhibits selections from her extensive collection of historic clothing, jewelry, photographs, books, and journals about 19th century American dress and domestic life.”

Enjoy this YouTube video showing some of Lisa’s award-winning work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcxpAM_t05A

This is going to be a great way to open the New Year, and we look forward to this exciting panel and to making new friends.

Please register for our ZOOM meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMud-usrz0jGdHPxQrCTLhL-oFjb6v7uQxK

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Want to be kept up-to-date on events like the “Costuming and Cosplay” panel this month at PARSEC? Sign up for PARSEC’s Sigma eNewsletter. You’ll read informative articles and editorials, learn about the organization’s Call for Submissions, SF history,, SF film and book reviews, and more. All FREE.

https://parsec-sff.org/contact-us/signup-for-sigma/

At DreamCasters, our Guest this month is Bruce McAllister. Bruce’s literary and genre fiction has appeared in national magazines, literary quarterlies, college textbooks and ‘year’s best’ anthologies. His second novel, Dream Baby, a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship winner, was called a “stunning tour de force” by Publishers Weekly.

Bruce has a new short story “Sidha” appearing DreamForge Anvil #6 this month. The same short story has been chosen by Aeon Press for a “Best of Bruce McAllister” anthology “STEALING GOD and Other Stories.” coming out in January 2022.

Sidha has also been listed on Tangent’s Recommended Reading List for 2021. https://bit.ly/32JQxHr

At Bruce McAllister Coaching, Bruce has been a writing coach and consultant on a wide range of popular books for major and smaller publishers and scientific books published by scholarly presses, including Pulitzer and National Book Award nominees; and a facilitator of autobiography and memoir workshops.

Read Sidha at https://bit.ly/McAllister-Sidha

The ZOOM meeting with Bruce McAllister is open to all DreamCaster level supporters of DreamForge on Patreon. Learn more about DreamCasters at https://dreamforgemagazine.com/dreamcasters/

Join DreamCasters by supporting us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DreamForgePress

Critters / Critique.org is once again happy to host the Annual Readers Poll. Good luck to all entrants!

The Readers’ Poll honors print & electronic publications published during 2021. Click here for the official rules.

The poll opened Dec. 24 this year and runs through January 14th.

Newest categories: Magical Realism, Positive Future Fiction (novel & short story)

Note your name and email address will be required to vote to prevent fraud. Entries for each category are listed in alphabetical order. Add a new entry using the row at the bottom. Voters are automatically entered into a drawing for prizes from our sponsors. Please check your vote for accuracy before submitting, as Critters cannot fix typos!

Notes:

DreamForge needs your vote on the Fiction e-Zine page: https://critters.org/predpoll/fictionzine.shtml

Scot Noel would appreciate your vote on the Editors page: https://critters.org/predpoll/zineeditor.shtml

Our Anthology “Worlds of Light & Darkness” needs your vote: https://critters.org/predpoll/antho.shtml

DF contributor Wulf Moon’s “Shaken Not Stirred” can be voted for here https://critters.org/predpoll/shortstoryposfut.shtml

Cover art for Worlds of Light & Darkness can be voted for here: https://critters.org/predpoll/bookart.shtml

Cover Art for DreamForge Anvil # 4 can be voted for here: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/zineart.shtml

You can add more of your favorites to any category and encourage your friends to vote! The available entries will change before closing, so check back!

In 2021 as we went to a digital format, we didn’t have the budget to hire illustrators to do many stories in each issue.  Jane had been doing title design, layout, and some illustrations since the first issue.  But in 2021 she illustrated almost all the stories.  (We were fortunate to hire Elizabeth Leggett and Frank Schurter to do the covers for Issues 3 and 6.)  But other than that Jane illustrated and created type designs for all the stories.  This gallery shows her favorites.

See Jane’s art gallery from 2021 – including much of the art and title designs from DreamForge Anvil.