Heiresses of Russ 2011: The Year's Best Lesbian Speculative Fiction

Publisher Marketing: Welcome to a new annual anthology created in honor of the late Joanna Russ, American writer, academic, and feminist whose work shone brightly in the male-dominated field of speculative fiction of the latter half of the twentieth century. Heiresses of Russ offers readers in one volume the best lesbian-themed tales of the fantastical, weird and otherworldly, published during the prior year. Editors JoSelle Vanderhooft (Sleeping Beauty, Indeed and Other Stories) and Steve Berman (the Wilde Stories series) read countless books, periodicals, and webzines to collect a range of talers--from new voices as well as award-winning authors--that celebrate the spirit of Russ's fiction: stories of sorceresses and spectral women, lost daughters and sisters of myth. The transformative power of the written word becomes magic and tests the boundaries of gender, identity and a woman's dreams. Contributor Bio:  Vanderhooft, Joselle Born in Massachusetts in 1980, JoSelle Vanderhooft lived most of her adult life in Utah and currently lives in Florida. She is the author of several poetry collections, including The Minotaur's Last Letter to His Mother (Ash Phoenix, 2007), The Bram Stoker-nominated Ossuary (Sam's Dot Publishing, 2007), Fathers, Daughters, Ghosts and Monsters (Van-Zeno Press, 2009), The Memory Palace (Norilana Books, 2009), Death Masks (Papaveria Press, 2012) and DESERT SONGS (Cross-Cultural Communications, 2012). Her poetry and fiction have appeared online and in print in a number of publications, including Cabinet des Fees, Helix, Jabberwocky, Mythic, Mythic Delirium, The Seventh Quarry, and Star*Line. In addition to the Bram Stoker Award, she has been nominated for the Rhysling Award and short listed for the Gaylaxtic Spectrum Award for her anthology, Sleeping Beauty, Indeed (Torquere Press, 2006) and her short story "Were." She is also the editor of numerous anthologies. She lives in Boca Raton, Florida, with her partner, an ever-expanding library, and a gloriously orange tabby cat, Oscar. Contributor Bio:  Berman, Steve Lambda Award-nominated editor Steve Berman has been writing stories both queer and strange for many years. He is the author of Vintage: A Ghost Story (Haworth) and his work has appeared in the fantasy anthologies The Faery Reel and The Coyote Road. Mr. Berman is an active member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).