You can find me at three places at C2E2, the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, this Friday, April 26, in the McCormick Place. I’ll be on a panel: Artificial, Intelligent, and Fiction? from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. in Room S402-B. The panel description: “You can’t turn around without being confronted with AI. From the obvious, … Continue reading I’ll be at C2E2
B&N preorder sale April 17 to 19
Barnes & Noble is holding a pre-order sale for members of Rewards (10% off) and Premium & Rewards (25% off) from April 17 to 19. That means you can get a bargain when you pre-order Usurpation, the third book in the Semiosis trilogy, which will be published in October this year. If you’re not a … Continue reading B&N preorder sale April 17 to 19
‘Dual Memory’ paperback on sale today!
The trade paperback edition of Dual Memory is available today! You can get links to your favorite bookseller here. Hardcover, ebook, and audiobook editions are also for sale. If you’ve already read it, here’s a scene after the end of the novel. If you have not read it yet, here’s a sample: *** Chapter 3 … Continue reading ‘Dual Memory’ paperback on sale today!
A parasitic flower
Although it grows in a wide range in Asia, North American, and northern South America, you might not easily find a Monotropa uniflora, a wildflower also known as a ghost pipe or Indian pipe. The bare stems rise less than a foot tall, often in dark spots. They look like a weird mushroom or fungus, … Continue reading A parasitic flower
Imagine a wall, and begin the story…
How do novels begin? In the acknowledgments to Semiosis, I wrote: “I owe thanks to Gregory Frost, whose writing exercise about a special kind of wall led to this novel.” That exercise took place in 1996 at the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Workshop, which I attended. As one of the instructors, Greg assigned several … Continue reading Imagine a wall, and begin the story…
My new houseplants are hungry
You may have noticed that the covers of Semiosis and Usurpation depict actual Earth plants. The tentacle on Semiosis belongs to a sundew, probably a Drosera filiformis. The leafy traps of a Venus fly trap, Dionaea muscipula, hang menacingly on the cover of Usurpation. The art inspired me. Since I love growing plants, I headed … Continue reading My new houseplants are hungry
‘Sentience will prevail’
This is the cover of Usurpation, the third book in the Semiosis trilogy. Notice the tagline: “Sentience will prevail.” There were taglines for the first two books: “Sentience takes many forms.” (Semiosis) “Sentience craves sovereignty.” (Interference) It seemed logical for the third book to have a tagline along the same lines, too. My editor at … Continue reading ‘Sentience will prevail’
Goodreads review: ‘Borne’ by Jeff Vandermeer
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer My rating: 5 of 5 stars In a dystopian world, every good thing, no matter how small, is precious, but anything can become a monster. That’s the underlying premise of this novel: how to stay human, how to maintain love, and how not to become a monster in the midst of … Continue reading Goodreads review: ‘Borne’ by Jeff Vandermeer
‘Dual Memory’ is an Audie Award Finalist
Dual Memory is a finalist for the Audio Publishers Association’s 2024 Audie Awards in the Science Fiction category. Thank you for the narration, André Santana! The winners will be announced March 4. You can listen to Chapter 1 here: https://soundcloud.com/dreamscape-media/dual-memory-by-sue-burke-chapter-1 You can buy the audiobook wherever fine audiobooks are sold — and the novel is … Continue reading ‘Dual Memory’ is an Audie Award Finalist
‘Usurpation’ cover art!
Isn’t it beautiful? This is the cover of Usurpation, the third novel in the Semiosis trilogy. It will be published on October 29 (and you can pre-order it now from your favorite bookseller). You might be thinking that the picture looks a lot like a Venus flytrap. Yes, it does. That small plant originated in … Continue reading ‘Usurpation’ cover art!
Semiosis 