Thursday night, I had the pleasure of listening to fantasy and science fiction author Catherynne Valente speak along with four others. I was so inspired by hearing her talk. Sure, most of what she detailed were the semantics of storytelling. But the glimpses I got of the power of writing spoke to me because of my own aspirations to be a fantasy author. This is one reason why science fiction speaks to me so much—because of my interest in speculative fiction.

I do have to say, part of what made hearing her speak so special was learning about the details. Considering denouements, helical narratives, and strategies to avoid info dumps got me excited to continue reading science fiction in this course, and to be attentive to how they’re written. I look forward to reflecting on Catherynne Valente’s talk throughout the semester and beyond.