Carer SB-11 was neither Rosh nor happy. It called me Hari, and I called it Smita, because we had names. They weren’t our names, but names, nonetheless.
— Kanishk Tantia, “Those Left Behind” (Apex 144)
Welcome
Like it says on the tin: The Butterfly Disjunct, my debut short story collection, is coming soon. This November, you’ll be able to find it online or in bookstores, and ARCs are available now if you’re into that!
That said, I don’t like doing two heavy self-promo posts in a row — so by way of apology, I’m going to talk about other people’s interesting stuff up front.
Problems in Utopia
This month I’m sharing two stories that ask pointed questions about what utopia means and who, exactly, it’s for. Also: androids!
“Those Left Behind”
Kanishk Tantia (Apex, May 2024)
This short story follows two humanoid caretaker robots mapped with the neural networks of dead humans as they struggle to come to terms with being abandoned by their charges. A powerful, engaging tale.
Anticipation of Hollowness
Renan Bernardo, Michele Paris, and Lorenzo Livrieri (Android Press, August 2024)
This snazzy graphic novel adaptation of a short story by Renan Bernardo explores a solarpunk utopia to which not everyone is granted access or care. The Backerkit runs through August 8th — please support it if you can!
Support the project now and listen to the short story it adapts
The Butterfly Disjunct ARCs and Launch Party
With stories that first appeared in Galaxy’s Edge, Flash Fiction Online, Lightspeed, Nature, and many other places, The Butterfly Disjunct collects science fiction short stories I’ve written over the last 12 or so years.
It’s coming this November from Interstellar Flight Press, with a stunning cover (seen below) from Dante Luiz.
If you want an advance reader copy (ARC) ahead of time to review and enjoy, there are several options for you!
Download an ARC from BookSirens
Even if you aren’t interested in an advanced copy, I hope you’ll join us for the book’s launch party on November 4th at 4pm Pacific.
It’s free, but seats are limited, so register now on EventBrite!
Want a little more info about what’s inside? Here’s the publisher’s blurb, and some early praise:
The Butterfly Disjunct is a short story collection exploring the expanse of human experience across infinite futures.
A scientist haunted by an impossible ghost. A cocky poet attempting to outrun peace. A grieving mother looking for life beneath Europa’s icy surface. A ship AI desperate to rescue its beloved crew. An ongoing fight against the end of existence. Equal parts earnest and strange, Stewart C Baker’s stories span the breadth of human emotion, space, and time. In this debut collection, gender and genre collide to celebrate relationships and empathy in all their forms.
The book has received praise from authors such as Kij Johnson, who called it “a delight,” and positive reviews on Netgalley, with readers calling it “a masterclass in character-centric worldbuilding” and saying it “captures your heart and makes you ponder the complex themes of life.”
Writing Update
- We’ve retitled my forthcoming Choicescript game to “Spire, Surge, and Sea” and I’m still working on that. I just crossed 150k, and am nearly done with chapter 5 of 11.
- My story “The List Making Habits of Heartbroken Ships” is coming out in early August in Neurodiversiverse from Thinking Ink Press. You can pre-order now in ebook or print!
- My story “White Lies Cast Dark Shadows” is also out this August in Carpe Noctem from Tyche Books. You can pre-order now in ebook!
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading!