Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: accomplished
  • Music: Delta Rae, "Dance in the Graveyard."

The October air smells like bonfires and promises.

So this story is Cat Valente's fault.

Cat wrote a Coyote story that was also a football story, and because I am her Coyote Girl as she is my Mermaid of Maine, she mentioned me, and some people got the idea that I liked football (rather than getting the idea that I love Coyote in all his shapes and incarnations) and asked if I would write a football story for them. So I did, and then one thing led to another, and the people who had asked for the story couldn't use it after all, but I liked it a lot (and it was something that made me think of Cat, which is always good), and so I went looking for a home.

"Homecoming" is available to read online, now, in the latest issue of Lightspeed Magazine.

"Homecoming" is a story about football (with thanks to Shawn for clarifying my action). It's a story about hot October nights when the stands are full and the crowd is cheering and you feel like you can run forever. It's a story about destiny. And it's a story I'm fairly proud of.

You can read this month's full issue at:

http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/

Fantasy! Science fiction! Non-fiction! Diverse voices! And an upcoming "Women Destroying Science Fiction" special issue. I highly recommend either purchasing this issue (if you like any of the stories it contains and want to support the magazine that published them), or picking up a subscription. Either way, the boys of summer are waiting for you on the field. It's the big game tonight.

You wouldn't want to make them wait for long.
Tags: magazines and me, short fiction
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sheistheweather

September 10 2013, 15:33:26 UTC 3 years ago

I loved this story. I cried at my desk.

seanan_mcguire

September 10 2013, 15:34:34 UTC 3 years ago

Aw, yay.

sabine791110

September 10 2013, 15:46:59 UTC 3 years ago

I love you so much! This is PERFECT!

seanan_mcguire

September 10 2013, 16:40:30 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you!

kargashina

September 10 2013, 15:53:50 UTC 3 years ago

So clever!

seanan_mcguire

September 10 2013, 16:40:41 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you.

museclio

September 10 2013, 15:55:14 UTC 3 years ago

Ow.

That was wonderful, as always.

seanan_mcguire

September 10 2013, 16:40:49 UTC 3 years ago

I am so glad.

roadnotes

September 10 2013, 16:06:36 UTC 3 years ago

I'm all hot-eyed and happy-sad. Thank you for writing this.

seanan_mcguire

September 10 2013, 16:40:58 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you for reading.

beccastareyes

September 10 2013, 16:15:42 UTC 3 years ago

I loved this story, and immediately sent it on to a friend who I thought would appreciate it but wouldn't otherwise find it.

seanan_mcguire

September 10 2013, 16:41:10 UTC 3 years ago

Oh, how sweet of you!

museclio

3 years ago

  • New comment

reedrover

3 years ago

  • New comment

wendyzski

September 10 2013, 16:19:00 UTC 3 years ago

I'm slowly getting smarter. "New Seanan Story" now means I lock my office door so that no one sees my weeping.

Deleted comment

seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

  • New comment

Deleted comment

seanan_mcguire

September 10 2013, 16:41:28 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you.

Deleted comment

talkstowolves

September 10 2013, 16:42:12 UTC 3 years ago

Oh, yay!

seanan_mcguire

September 10 2013, 17:27:00 UTC 3 years ago

So pleased. :)

kangaekaeru

September 10 2013, 16:43:12 UTC 3 years ago

That was perfection. You're right to be proud.

seanan_mcguire

September 10 2013, 17:27:09 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you.

martianmooncrab

September 10 2013, 17:09:09 UTC 3 years ago

"Women Destroying Science Fiction"

GIRL COOTIES!!! GIRL COOTIES!!!!!!

seanan_mcguire

September 10 2013, 17:27:21 UTC 3 years ago

WE ARE THE DESTROYERS OF ALL.

martianmooncrab

3 years ago

  • New comment

faecat

September 10 2013, 17:43:37 UTC 3 years ago

Oh, wonderful.

seanan_mcguire

September 12 2013, 16:10:43 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you.

woodwindy

September 10 2013, 18:33:48 UTC 3 years ago

So beautiful. And what a perfect song accompaniment in your status!

seanan_mcguire

September 12 2013, 16:10:54 UTC 3 years ago

Aw, thanks. :)

wenhaver

September 10 2013, 18:39:55 UTC 3 years ago

My first thought was "ugh, football", but my second was "well, it's seanan, so it's probably beautiful and/or has unexpected violence". That was lovely.

seanan_mcguire

September 12 2013, 16:11:05 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you so much.

pixel39

September 10 2013, 19:20:10 UTC 3 years ago

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


*coughs*
*ahem*

Um, I liked it.

liadan_m

September 10 2013, 23:46:58 UTC 3 years ago

Pixel, why does this squee not surprise me? :)

seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

  • New comment

taldragon

September 10 2013, 20:26:46 UTC 3 years ago

" It's a story about destiny. And it's a story I'm fairly proud of."

yes. so you should be. :)

seanan_mcguire

September 12 2013, 16:11:33 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you.

liadan_m

September 10 2013, 23:46:03 UTC 3 years ago

this made me so happy. Because no one remembers that She had choice of half.
**tips hat**

seanan_mcguire

September 12 2013, 16:12:11 UTC 3 years ago

She still does, as far as I'm concerned.

Some need to rest.

melchar

September 11 2013, 00:40:09 UTC 3 years ago

Cried a lot while reading. Loved the story.

seanan_mcguire

September 12 2013, 16:12:20 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you.

shantak

September 11 2013, 01:34:13 UTC 3 years ago

A friend of mine, emberleo shared this on facebook. I was very excited to read it because I love your writing. Early on I got chills from your phrasing. Soon I was in tears from the intensity. I almost stopped reading because I was there. When the coaches came onto the field, it was perfect.

I guess I want to say thank you. This is wonderful. It reminded me of a part of myself I've been shushing as I concentrate on other things.

Thank you very much.

seabhac_mhor

September 11 2013, 05:48:56 UTC 3 years ago

I want to comment on the post itself, but also wanted to respond here.

*I* caught this, read it, got very weepy and happy - and shared it with a group of people including emberleo. I'm deeply amused at the cyclical nature of this....

seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

  • New comment

jennygriffee

September 11 2013, 01:53:09 UTC 3 years ago Edited:  September 11 2013, 01:57:19 UTC

Heh. I can tell I'm from a rather different place than the setting of this tale. My memories of football games in October are definitely not of hot nights. They were more like nights where the temperature and the angle of the rain were both holding steady at about 45 degrees, and I was still tromping around the field at halftime, hoping my flute stayed in tune.... :)

Thanks for the link -- reading this now!

seanan_mcguire

September 12 2013, 16:28:57 UTC 3 years ago

California is different.

sarapada

September 11 2013, 03:04:49 UTC 3 years ago

This was so wonderful - thank you.

seanan_mcguire

September 12 2013, 16:29:08 UTC 3 years ago

You are very welcome.

seabhac_mhor

September 11 2013, 05:51:19 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you for writing this. Thank you for making the teams the way you did, with the people on them and the cheer squads. I shared it with a couple of heathen groups I belong to, since I figured they'd appreciate this too.

*wipes the tears from my eyes*

seanan_mcguire

September 12 2013, 16:29:22 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you so much, honey. This means a lot to me.

notalwaysweak

September 11 2013, 06:10:52 UTC 3 years ago

I think I stopped breathing somewhere in there and I only just remembered to start again.

'scuse me now, got something in my eye.

seanan_mcguire

September 12 2013, 16:29:30 UTC 3 years ago

Aw.

megotelek

September 11 2013, 16:59:27 UTC 3 years ago

I'm very much not a football person, but I absolutely adored this. Perfection, seriously. I'm sending it to one of my best friends who IS a football fan but probably wouldn't have found this on her own.

seanan_mcguire

September 12 2013, 16:29:42 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you!

jenfullmoon

September 11 2013, 17:45:12 UTC 3 years ago

Can I ask a dumb question? How are the ah, sides determined? Are folks showing certain traits during the game that make them suited for one side or the other?

(erm, I haven't watched football since 1997, maybe I'm missing something)

Anyway, cool twist on that story, I kept going and going wondering what it was about...

seanan_mcguire

September 12 2013, 16:30:01 UTC 3 years ago

People who want to keep fighting go with the Ravens; people who want to rest go with the Falcons.
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