MARY ROBINETTE KOWAL is the 2008 recipient of the Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Her short fiction appears in Strange Horizons, Cosmos, Apex Magazine, and Asimov’s. Mary, a professional puppeteer and voice actor, lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband Rob and eight manual typewriters. Tor is publishing her debut novel, Shades of Milk and Honey, in 2010. She is serving her second term as Secretary of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. In addition to her writing, she also performs as a voice actor, recording fiction for authors such as Elizabeth Bear, Cory Doctorow and John Scalzi. Visit www.maryrobinettekowal.com for more information.
Who are you?
Mary Robinette Kowal
What is your story about?
“Ring Road” is about a young Icelandic woman, coming home for the holidays with her American boyfriend and finding herself a participant in Nordic myth.
Where is your story set?
Reykjavik and the Ring Road around Iceland.
When does your story take place?
Now.
Why does Maurice Broaddus throw a convention in honor of himself(Mo*Con)?
Because that’s just how awesome he is. More people should honor themselves.
How does your story tie into the concept of faith?
I lived in Iceland for a year and a half and all the streets are named after Odin, Thor and Freya. At a certain point, while talking to a friend, I realized that these weren’t just dusty old names from myths but an active part of the culture. For Nanna, the main character, she’s always considered herself a very modern girl but during the course of the story has to reevaluate how she relates to the concept of the divine.
Excerpt from “Ring Road”:
Shaking, she pushed herself to her feet. Her fingers were numb as she pulled her pants up, almost falling over in her haste. She caught herself against the bolder and the rough stone scraped her knuckles.
She pulled on the waistband, trying to draw it shut, but the fabric would not close. A handspan separated the two sides. It had been painful before, but the trousers had been able to close. She could not be larger in this short space of time. A litany of “no” filled her mind like prayer. She yanked, trying to draw her belly in, but the hard dome belled out from below her breasts.
Something inside her kicked.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for our next devotion with D.T. Friedman! Her first professional-level piece of short fiction appears in DARK FAITH!
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Related posts:
- EDITORIAL DISPOSITIONS: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Prepare for your daily Dark Faith: Devotion
- SHORT STORY: “Scenting the Dark” by Mary Robinette Kowal
APEXOLOGY: Horror
Great interview. That’s so awesome that she lived there and got to see how steeped the culture is in that mythology. Can’t wait to read this story!
When I read this, somehow I know I will be thinking about the volcano.
[...] Kontis – “The God of Last Moments” Mary Robinette Kowal – “Ring Road” D.T. Friedman – “Paint Box, Puzzle Box” Wrath James White – “He Who Would Not [...]