Tony Pi, F&SF Writer

I will be at WorldCon in Dublin, and be on two panels on August 17, moderating one. These are very exciting panels!

Shining the spotlight on SFF musical theatre

Format: Panel

17 Aug 2019, Saturday 12:00 – 12:50, Wicklow Room-2 (CCD)

From Wicked to Matilda, Spamalot, and Peter Pan, some of the most successful musicals have roots in SFF. What makes these musicals special? Is it the magic or the music? Why do they have such staying power? And what else would we like to see on the stage?

Dr Tony Pi, Amy Sundberg, Emily January (M), Ruth EJ Booth (University of Glasgow), Mark Gerrits

Exploring Chinese science fiction

Format: Panel

17 Aug 2019, Saturday 16:00 – 16:50, ECOCEM Room (CCD)

Chinese science fiction has seen a recent resurgence in popularity. Using selected writings by both native Chinese writers and diaspora writers overseas, the panel will look at the themes, tropes, and cultural values in the stories, while examining where they sit within the genre of science fiction as a whole.

Dr Tony Pi (M), Regina Kanyu Wang (Storycom), Joey Yu, Dr Feng Zhang (Science & Fantasy Growth Foundation), Yen Ooi

I am pleased to announce a novelette acceptance at Beneath Ceaseless Skies. “These Wondrous Sweets” is the fifth in my series featuring the Song Dynasty candy master, Ao.

My story, “The Firefly Beast”, is now available in Sword and Sonnet. It is set in the same universe as the Chengdu stories, but set in an earlier dynasty. Check it out!

My novelette “That Lingering Sweetness” is now available in Beneath Ceaseless Skies #224, and is a story of Candyman Ao that can be read as a standalone (although it fits into the overarching narrative right after “The Sweetest Skill“).

The audio version is once again read by the great John Meagher, who narrated the previous two adventures of Ao.