the mary sue Archives - Tachyon Publications

the mary sue

March 9, 2023

There’s so much to love about Mia Tsai’s BITTER MEDICINE

Rick Klaw blog bitter medicine, blakeandbooks, bookstagram, literary hub, mia tsai, natalie zutter, Smart Bitches Trashy Books, suncerae smith, the book on the high shelf, the fantasy cafe, the mary sue, utopia state of mind

With less than a full week until its March 14 publication day (though the book is currently available from Tachyon and other select outlets), Mia Tsai’s charming debut novel BITTER MEDICINE hooks readers as evident by favorable reviews from Utopia State of Mind, Suncerae Smith at The Book on the High Shelf, Blakeandbooks’ Bookstagram, and mentions from Natalie Zutter in Literay Hub‘s March’s Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books and similarly at Smart Bitches Trashy Books‘ Hide Your Wallet: March 2023 New Releases, Part One. Without comment, The Mary Sue lists BITTER MEDICINE among The Mary Sue Book Club, March 2023: Powerful Magic, Sensational Secrets, & Public Policy. In The Fantasy Cafe guest post, Tsai reveals her love of aftermaths.

cover for Bitter Medicine by Mia Tasi — Cover art by Jia-Ling Pan
Design by Elizabeth Story

BITTER MEDICINE immediately hooked me with the premise of a romance between an elf and immortal. And what begins as this fantasy premise, only evolves. The fantasy elements begin to bloom and we are able to see a world full of talents and dangers. With cute chemistry and plenty of awkward moments – this made me feel very seen – you instantly root for them. But beneath the surface, BITTER MEDICINE turns into an introspective story about choice.
Utopia State of Mind

BITTER MEDICINE is a xianxia-inspired contemporary fantasy romance, and there’s so much to love about it. The worldbuilding is diverse, with distinct eastern and western cultures, and, my favorite, a sprinkle of multiple languages. Tsai chose not to translate the few phrases back into English, which I love. It inspires the reader to see through the characters’ eyes and adds to the worldbuilding.
The Book on the High Shelf

“I am blown away that this book is Mia Tsai’s debut novel! And can we please take a moment of silence for this stunning cover?!?!”
**Blakeandbooks**

This charming xianxia-inspired contemporary fantasy draws from Chinese mythology, as with Shénnóng, the Chinese god of medicine.
Literay Hub

Aarya: This has received rave reviews and author blurbs (including Courtney Milan and Rebecca Roanhorse). I hope it lives up to expectations!

Susan: I’m intrigued by magic through writing and complicated sibling relationships, so BITTER MEDICINE sounds great
Smart Bitches Trashy Books

The Case for Aftermaths

I love endings. They’re easily my favorite part of the book both to read and write, so much so that when I read a book, I often peek at the ending well before I get there just to get a sense of what I should expect. It’s reassuring, in a way, to know that things will coalesce and turn out for good or ill. As a writer, I write toward my ending; I never start a project without knowing exactly how it ends.

Endings are predictable: the hero wins or loses following a stirring climax, which is often a confrontation of some kind. The reader walks away from the book (or the arc, or the chapter, or anything that might constitute an ending because books are full of endings) with the satisfaction of the win or the ache of the loss and many feelings, depending on the complexity of said win or loss. It’s often here that an author will stop the story (or start a new story) because it’s a logical place to stop.

But what I love more than endings are aftermaths.
Mia Tsai at The Fantasy Cafe

September 10, 2015

Sci-Fi Stories Created by Women of Color

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized ink, list, octavia butler, parable of the sower, sabrina vourvoulias, science fiction, teresa jusino, the mary sue, women of color

Photo: Houari B. on Flickr

On THE MARY SUE, Teresa Jusino compiled this intriguing list of 10 Sci-Fi Stories Created by Women of Color.

This list was difficult to put together. It shouldn’t have been, but it was.

I was specifically looking for ten 1) female writer/creators 2) of color who specifically 3) write about sci-fi/dystopia. Women and stories that fit that criteria are out there, but they’re hard to find. In part, because patriarchy and racism; but also because there are seemingly more female authors of color on the fantasy side of speculative fiction, as many of their cultures tell stories using magical realism and supernatural elements that don’t quite fit in the sci-fi sphere.

HOWEVER, I did compile an awesome list for sci-fi fans who want to explore sci-fi stories – worlds set in the future and filled with space exploration, aliens and/or super-cool (if slightly ominous) tech – created by women of color. Some of the names you might already know, some of them you might not, but they are all worth looking into if you want to broaden your sci-fi horizons!

OCTAVIA BUTLER

Recommended work: Parable of the Sower (novel)

Sci-fi is wonderful because it can explore current issues in a way that forces us to acknowledge the potential consequences of our current actions. This novel features a black, female protagonist dealing with the aftermath of environmental destruction and economic crisis, and turning toward faith and culture as she does.

SABRINA VOURVOULIAS

Recommended work: Ink (novel)

Again, this is a great example of the use of sci-fi to bring up current issues. In this case, the issue is immigration, both in policy, and how immigrants are viewed. This story is told from the point of view of four characters: a journalist; an ink who works in a local population control office; an artist strongly tied to a specific piece of land; and a teenager whose mother runs an inkatorium (a sanitarium-internment center opened in response to public health concerns about inks).

Discover the rest of Jusino’s selections at THE MARY SUE.