So it comes as no surprise that she begins her introduction to “How Long ’til Black Future Month?,” a collection of her short fiction, by explaining that once she didn’t think she could write short stories at all. Jemisin’s fiction, a gift best savored in her two series, the Inheritance trilogy and the Broken Earth trilogy. A story can allude, hint, call upon the reader’s memory of other works, but it can only ever be a small window into what may or may not be the vast canvas in its author’s mind. This - no way around it - takes up a lot of pages that a short story doesn’t have. The short story, however, often seems at odds with one of the great allurements of both science fiction and fantasy: world-building, the power of a written narrative to immerse its readers in imaginary realms, histories and cultures. Today, when most prizes for literary fiction are limited to book-length works, the major science fiction awards - the Hugos and the Nebulas - include short fiction categories. Science fiction has a long history of honoring the short story form, dating back to when pulp magazines like Amazing Stories and Astounding Science Fiction were effectively the only way to publish in the genre. HOW LONG ’TIL BLACK FUTURE MONTH? By N.K.
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