There are few things more thrilling for a publisher than the chance to yell “STOP THE PRESSES!”

We’ve always known that Marie Vibbert, author of nearly 100 short stories in all the biggest science fiction magazines, was just this side of making it big.

And now she has! This year, Marie not only got nominated for the Nebula Award, for her story “We Built this City”, but as of this month, that story has also made her a finalist for the Hugo Award!

The Nebula was already a big deal–it’s the annual awards given out by the Science Fiction Writers of America. But the Hugos…those are the “Oscars of Science Fiction”. Marie, my friends, has made it.

So, of course, we had to change the cover!

Folks are likening The Gods Awoke to Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, but Marie’s sublime fantasy tale, skewering organized religion even while being sympathetic to its practitioners is really one of a kind. Give it a read–with the new cover!

Janice L. Newman (At First Contact) and Gideon Marcus (the Kitra Saga) got their first Hugo nominations back in 2018. Every year since then save for 2021, their landmark time travel project, Galactic Journey, has been nominated for Best Fanzine. I don’t know that calling this sprawling endeavor, what Olav Rockne calls, “The most ambitious, immersive, and extensive project in modern science fiction,” a ‘fanzine’ quite does it justice. After all, the Journey includes not just coverage of science fiction and fact, day-by-day, from the perspective of people living 55 years ago, but it also boasts a radio station, an online lounge for in-person kibbitzing and Star Trek watching, and even live shows!

Nevertheless, Newman and Marcus are honored to be selected, delighted with their fellow nominees, and whomever wins, it’s already a happy circumstance.

Here’s hoping all three of them bring home the big rocket ship come September!

She’s also up to her ears in events, greeting her adoring fans. We figured we’d give you a sneak preview of what’s coming up in case you want to meet her in person.

Ohioana Book Festival, April 22

Sunday, April 22, Marie will be at the Ohionana Book Festival at Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Main Library (96 S. Grant Ave.) from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

It will be “a fun-filled day with panel discussions, conversations, readings, and activities, plus an on-site book fair with The Book Loft of German Village where you can shop for books by your favorite festival authors and get them signed!

In addition to the main event, we’ll be presenting a number of outreach programs with community partners from all around Ohio. As we like to say, there’s something for every reader of every age at the Ohioana Book Festival!”

Electric Sheep, April 29

Can’t make it to one to see Marie in person? Fear not! She’s also participating in Electric Sheep, an online gathering of some of the best speculative fiction writers working today.

Start your Saturday morning right with this amazing event!

Lake Erie Ink’s Teen Writer Symposium, May 6

Marie doesn’t just write–she teaches others to write! If you’re a teen, or you’ve got a teen, or you know a teen, there is no better professor than Marie.

The date is May 6, the time is 11:30am-3:30pm, and the address is

CSU’s Mather Mansion
2605 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115
Grades 6-12

Register for FREE

The Nebula Awards!!!! May 12-14

As said upstream, Marie is up for the Nebula Award, the official honor of the Science Fiction Writers Association. The ceremony is in Anaheim this year, perfectly located for SoCal attendees. You can come virtually or in person!

Here’s all the details. Hope to see you there!

In-home support

While you’re waiting for these terrific events, or if you don’t think you’re going to be able to make them, you can still see what all the buzz is about:

• Read The Gods Awoke — seriously, one of the finest speculative fiction books of the 21st Century

• Read Galactic Hellcats — we didn’t publish it, but who cares? Marie still gets the money! Besides, “Lesbian Bikers in Space”. What more could you want?

• And don’t forget…rate and review these books at the place of your choice (even Amazon and Goodreads…) Each review is a HUGE boost.

Thanks in advance for all of your support, and happy attending/reading!

So you can imagine how thrilled we were when she agreed to let us publish The Gods Awoke, one of the most intriguing novels we’ve ever read. Most second worlds require 1000-page tomes in six-part series to flesh out. Marie did it in one book. And what a world: with divinities that aren’t sure if they’re gods, to a women-on-top society shaken to its foundations by the confirmed existence of the almighty.

Plus, amidst all the apocalypse and impending iconoclasm, Marie manages to keep things grounded. Even funny. Hers is a rare talent.

Marie has racked up a lot of exciting news recently that we thought you’d like to know about. So here’s our first in the “On the Road” series of articles. We hope you enjoy.

Marie goes on tour

Last week marked the last stop on Marie’s MidWest The Gods Awoke tour, an endeavor that has seen her visit thirteen venues from Chicago to Cleveland. We are particularly pleased to be continuing our partnerships with these terrific Ohio stores:

Loganberry Books, Shaker Heights, OH

Ben Franklin Books, Oberlin, OH

Mac’s Backs, Cleveland Heights, OH

AppleTree Books, Cleveland, OH

If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by. And, of course, ask for author-signed copies!

Writing for Charity

Every profession has its own way of saving the world. Lawyers offer pro bono work, doctors volunteer at neighborhood clinics, restaurateurs run soup kitchens.

Authors write for charity, which is a win-win. When you buy their work, it both supports a good cause and gives you excellent material to read.

Marie is one of an amazing slate of authors that contributed to Dreams for a Broken World, an anthology of speculative stories addressing one or more pressing global issues. One of science fiction’s roles has been to spotlight concerns we may face in the future. This anthology benefits humanity not only by doing that, but by being a charity project.

All proceeds go to the Rosenberg Fund for Children. The RFC is a non-profit, public foundations that aids children in the U.S. whose parents are targeted, progressive activists. They also assist youth who themselves have been targeted as a result of their progressive activities.

Give it a look!

The Gods Awoke gets a sequel…sort of

Beneath Ceaseless Skies is one of the biggest fantasy magazines around. So we were tickled pink to hear that Marie had a story recently accepted for their December issue.

If you’ve read The Gods Awoke, you know that Marie has woven a rich history behind the world of the dominant Casu and the Sanadaru. A key point of conflict is their differing pantheons–especially when it seems as if it is the Casu gods that have come to life.

Marie’s latest story delves into the lore behind the various days of the week in the Casu and Sanadaru calendars. It’s sure to be fascinating in a way only Marie’s work can be!

Read it now for free!

Next up, we’ll be following Erica Friedman, who has also been On the Road. Stay tuned!

Launch day is always an exciting one. This one is particularly thrilling.

I have a confession: I’ve always wanted to publish Marie Vibbert. I’m not exactly sure when I first became aware of her work. Maybe it was a science fiction story in one of the big magazines, like Single Malt Spacecraft or the heart-rending Things From Our Kitchen Junk Drawer That Could Save This Spaceship. Or maybe it was one of her anti-Tuesday tirades she gifts us every week on Twitter.

However we met, I’ve always been impressed. There’s something…classic about her style. Her stories would be as at home in the pages of a 60s/70s New Wave science fiction magazine as they are in the most cutting edge venues.

She made the jump to novels with her hit, Galactic Hellcats (unofficial subtitle: “Lesbian Bikers in Space”), and I saw my chance. Casually, I asked if she had any other novels she was thinking of submitting to publishers. Marie gave me a few options, all of which sounded good, but the one that intrigued me the most was “an excuse to write in first-person omniscient”. And so, the draft of The Gods Awoke hit my desk.

It captivated me from the beginning: the mystery of Senne’s origin; the all-too-human struggles of Hitra, priest of Revestre; the depredations of her indentured servant, Illoe; and the beautiful, deeply drawn world they inhabited. It was the kind of story I’d always wanted to see, and written so compellingly that I occasionally felt twinges of envy along with the joy.

And now, at last, we get to share this amazing tale with you! How to classify it? Is it science fiction? Is it fantasy? Feminist fiction? Political thriller? Social satire?

I’m going to stop trying. It’s good. That’s enough. Enjoy!

(and thank you, Marie, for letting me midwife your second book baby )

Physical & Digital Editions available now:

Or get it at your favorite local bookshop!