Our contributors are awesome.

Regular readers (and even irregular ones) will know that Sarah Chorn (also known as Bookworm Blues) does an awesome post series called Special Needs in Strange Worlds here at SF Signal and also on her blog. Through that series of posts, in which she examines disabled characters in speculative fiction, she has named many, many books that showcase such characters. A recent post of hers solicited suggestions from readers to add to A “Special Needs in Strange Worlds” Reading List.

Another SF Signal contributor (and proprietor of the wonderful SciFi Fan Letter), Jessica Strider, works in a bookstore and she decided to bring Sarah’s list into realspace. She did this by setting up a bookstore display showcasing some of the books on the list. Jessica talks about it here. Go read it and see how our contributors transform themselves from readers into superheroes.

Earlier this year I successfully finished, for the second (and hopefully last) time, a battle with cancer. I was diagnosed in October of 2010, and I got my full body scan and official “all clear” from my doctor in April of 2013. I made it out alive, and that’s a lot more than a lot of people can say. Oddly enough, cancer didn’t just change me, or teach me more about myself and my capabilities, but it taught me a lot about writing speculative fiction. Specifically how disabilities are handled in speculative fiction. Despite the fact that books are often told about fictional people, authors draw upon real life situations to create their characters, worlds, and cultures. There are interesting parallels between how we handle our own hardships, and how authors allow their characters to handle their hardships and the character growth and development that results from their hardships and struggles – the personal and interpersonal battles they fought and won (or didn’t win).
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In the last installment of Special Needs in Strange Worlds, I talked about Jacqueline Koyanagi’s Ascension, and how powerfully, and realistically, she covers a myriad of disabilities in her debut book. This week I am pleased to bring you an interview with the author.

Jacqueline Koyanagi was born in Ohio to a Japanese-Southern-American family, eventually moved to Georgia, and earned a degree in anthropology with a minor in religion.  Her stories feature queer women of color, folks with disabilities, neuroatypical characters, and diverse relationship styles, because she grew tired of not seeing enough of herself and the people she loves reflected in genre fiction. She now resides in Colorado where she weaves all manner of things, including stories, chainmaille jewelry, and a life with her loved ones and dog.

Q: First things first. Tell readers a little about yourself. What do you typically do when you aren’t writing?
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Welcome to Special Needs in Strange Worlds, a column focusing on celebrating disabilities in SFF. This column will focus on book reviews, author interviews, and guest posts to highlight the beauty and importance of our flaws.
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