Adriana Kantcheva
Catching Words
Dispatches from a writer of speculative fiction.
Hello, ,
Look at that: 2026 is already here. Happy New Year, everybody! Now that I'm gearing to take down the lights and pack away the Christmas tree (I have an artificial one), my thoughts are turning to what's coming next.
What I’ll be doing in 2026
- I'll mostly be putting short story writing on pause while focusing on longer projects.
- I'll set aside some time to dive back into learning more craft.
- I might query a book to agents. Maybe.
- I have a new project in mind I'd like to develop and, perhaps, even begin drafting.
Awards eligibility
As I mentioned in my latest blog post, I've had a bit of publishing success in 2025, which means I have a couple of awards-eligible works this time around (for the Nebulas, Hugos, Locus, and the like).
I'm especially proud of two short stories:
Bulgarian folklore (rusalkas), sapphic romance, cli-fi themes, and my small contribution towards normalizing women’s aging.
A medical quantum procedure can revert a patient's body to a previous state, but not without consequences.
(This story is no longer freely accessible. A copy is available upon request for folks who will be voting. Just reply to this email).
A poem
I'm not much for resolutions, but the change of year is still a time of introspection for me: Do I feel last year was fulfilling? How will I spend my precious time on Earth next year? This has always been on my mind, so, earlier, I was more eager to set resolutions for myself. The poem below stems from that time.
(A note: I fully respect the practice of setting resolutions for one's self. The reason I no longer do that is that I'm far too good at paralyzing myself with too-lofty goals. In a way, though, I'm tricking myself. Of course I have things I want to change and do better.)
The Dark Orb
A new moon,
a new day,
a new year.
“One day” is here.
It’s caught up
with us.
Are we any clearer
about our wants,
needs,
and future deeds?
A dark orb
waiting to wax
and swallow
all stars
like the dawn
of tomorrow,
which will follow,
the day at its heels,
the "now"—reincarnated.
Will it be
more time wasted?
The moon revolves
but does not
spin.
The phases change
over its static
grin.
Will we say, “Later,
let the orb wax,
tomorrow is better?”
Or will our
resolutions
finally start
a thousand quiet
revolutions?
A recent snapshot
We were in England over the holidays, and I happened to grow some wings.
(A photograph of yours truly in a winter jacket and hat in front of an illuminated structure of wings.)
Lucent Dreaming Issue 14 - at half price
Lucent Dreaming Issue 14, featuring my story "Beyond the Hills They Passed," is currently on sale. This is a beautiful magazine, so I hope you will support this small Welsh press and buy a copy.
(A photograph of a few colorful pages from Issue 14).
Reading and music
- Reading: I'm currently reading for awards, so I've been bingeing on short stories. Below are a few of my favorites:
- Arachnomorphosis by Beth Goder (Strange Horizons)
- Half Drowned by S. L. Harris (Beneath Ceaseless Skies)
- A Clockwork Gun by Josh Pearce (Bourbon Penn)
- Yarn Theory by Marie Vibbert (Clarkesworld)
- The Tawlish Island Songbook of the Dead by E. M. Linden (PodCastle)
- Laser Eyes Ain't Everything by Effie Seiberg (Diabolical Plots)
- Ten Visions of the Future; or, Self-Care for the End of Days by Samantha Mills (Uncanny)
- Music: Daisy by Jacob Fourtyhands, who seem to be a German band judging by their website's URL, though they say nothing about who they are there. "Daisy" is one happy-sounding song. I love the lead's voice, too.
Some thoughts...
The longer I live and the more I learn, the more staying positive becomes a choice — and it's the right choice!
Like somebody wise (probably not Mark Twain) once said: "Worry is the interest paid on trouble before it is due." I'm a big worrier, but I've discovered that if I manage to let go and allow events to unfold naturally, things often end up OK.
That's it from me this time around. Until next time!
Adriana
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