Sheree Renée Thomas is an African-American writer, book editor, publisher, and contributor to many notable publications. In 2020, Thomas was named editor of ''

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...

''.

Career

Thomas is the editor of the ''Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora'' anthology (2000) and ''Dark Matter: Reading the Bones,

Dark Matter Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not a ...

'', winners of the 2001 and the 2005 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology, which collect works by many African-American writers in the genres of

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

, horror and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

. Among the many notable authors included are

Samuel R. Delany Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ) (born April 1, 1942), is an American author and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays (on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society). His ...

Octavia E. Butler Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction author and a multiple recipient of the Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, Butler became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowshi ...

Charles R. Saunders Charles Robert Saunders (July 12, 1946May 2020) was an African-American author and journalist, a pioneer of the "sword and soul" literary genre with his Imaro novels.Tattrie, Jon.The extraordinary inner world of Charles R. Saunders, father of ...

, Steven Barnes,

Tananarive Due Tananarive Priscilla Due ( ) (born January 5, 1966) is an American author and educator. Due won the American Book Award for her novel '' The Living Blood''. She is also known as a film historian with expertise in Black horror. Due teaches a cours ...

Jewelle Gomez Jewelle Gomez (born September 11, 1948) is an American author, poet, critic and playwright. She lived in New York City for 22 years, working in public television, theater, as well as philanthropy, before relocating to the West Coast. Her writing� ...

, Ishmael Reed,

Kalamu ya Salaam Kalamu ya Salaam (born March 24, 1947) is an American poet, author, filmmaker, and teacher from the 9th Ward of New Orleans. A well-known activist and social critic, Salaam has spoken out on a number of racial and human rights issues. For years h ...

, Robert Fleming,

Nalo Hopkinson Nalo Hopkinson (born 20 December 1960) is a Jamaican-born Canadian speculative fiction writer and editor. Her novels ('' Brown Girl in the Ring'', '' Midnight Robber'', '' The Salt Roads'', ''The New Moon's Arms'') and short stories such as th ...

George S. Schuyler George Samuel Schuyler (; February 25, 1895 – August 31, 1977) was an American writer, journalist, and social commentator known for his conservatism after he had initially supported socialism. Early life George Samuel Schuyler was born in ...

and W. E. B. Du Bois. ''Dark Matter'' received the 2005 and the 2001

World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous ann ...

and was named a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' Notable Book of the Year. Thomas is the author of '' Nine Bar Blues: Stories from an Ancient Future (Third Man Books, 2020)'', the multigenre collections, '' Sleeping Under the Tree of Life'', longlisted for the 2016 James A. Tiptree, Jr. Award and '' Shotgun Lullabies: Stories & Poems'', is publisher of Wanganegresse Press, and has contributed to national publications including ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', ''Book World'', '' Black Issues Book Review'', '' QBR'', and ''

Hip Mama ''Hip Mama: The Parenting Zine'' is an American Alternative Press Award-winning quarterly periodical covering the culture and politics of parenting. The magazine is widely credited with launching the contemporary mothers' movement. The first issu ...

''. Her fiction and poetry has been widely anthologized and appears in "The Big Book of Modern Fantasy (1945-2010)," in Ishmael Reed's '' Konch'', '' Drumvoices Revue'', ''Obsidian III'', ''African Voices'', ''

storySouth ''storySouth'' is an online quarterly literary magazine that publishes fiction, poetry, criticism, essays, and visual artwork, with a focus on the Southern United States. The journal also runs the annual Million Writers Award to select the best sh ...

'', and other literary journals, and has received Honorable Mention in the ''Year's Best Fantasy and Horror'', 16th and 17th annual collections. A native of

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, Thomas lived in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

for over two decades and is now based in her hometown. In Fall 2020 she was named the tenth editor of ''

'', founded in 1949. She also serves as the Associate Editor of '' Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora'', founded in 1975.

Publications

* ''Anansi'' (1999) * '' Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora'' (2000), ''New York Times'' Notable Book of the Year, winner of the World Fantasy Award for Year's Best Anthology, Gold Pen Award * "The Last Moonsong", story in ''Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Social and Political Black Literature & Art'' (2001) * "For the Distinguished Historian...", poem in ''Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Social and Political Black Literature & Art'' (2001) * "The Road to Khartoum", poem in ''Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam'' (2001), ed. Tony Medina and Louis Reyes Rivera. * "How Sukie Come Free", story in '' Mojo: Conjure Stories'' ( 2003 ) * "The Grassdreaming Tree", story in '' So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction and Fantasy'' (2004), ed. Nalo Hopkinson and Uppinder Mehan * '' Dark Matter: Reading the Bones'' (2004), winner of the World Fantasy Award for Year's Best Anthology * "Marrakesh" and "Sky in West Memphis", poems in ''

'' (2005) * "In the Negro Section of Nashville" and "On Entering William Edmondson's Sculpture Yard in Nashville", poems in ''

'' (2005) * "Graze a Dark Field", poem in ''

Essence Magazine ''Essence'' is a monthly lifestyle magazine covering fashion, beauty, entertainment, and culture. First published in 1970, the magazine is written for African-American women. History Edward Lewis, Clarence O. Smith, Cecil Hollingsworth and Jon ...

'' (2006) * "Praisesong on the Passage of a Brilliant Star, from a Dreamer Below", essay in ''

Callaloo Callaloo (many spelling variants, such as kallaloo, calaloo, calalloo, calaloux or callalloo; ) is a popular Caribbean vegetable dish. There are many variants across the Caribbean, depending on the availability of local vegetables. The main in ...

'', Volume 29.2 (2006) * "Survivor at rest", poem in ''Hurricane Blues: Poems about Katrina and Rita'' (2006), ed. Philip C. Kolin and Susan Swartwout * "Lore", poem in ''Southern Revival: Deep Magic for Hurricane Relief'' (2006), ed. Tamara Kaye Sellman * "Ezilie in Cavaillon" in ''Mythic 2'' (2006) * "Untitled Old Scratch poem, featuring River" in ''Mythic Delirium'' (2006), nominated for the Pushcart Prize * "Touch", story in ''ColorLines Magazine: The national magazine on race and politics// (2006) * "sky in west memphis", poem, and "lightning" in ''The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South'' (2007) ed.

Nikky Finney Nikky Finney (born Lynn Carol Finney on August 26, 1957, in Conway, South Carolina) is an American poet. She was the Guy Davenport Endowed Professor of English at the University of Kentucky for twenty years. In 2013, she accepted a position at t ...

* "Malaika Descending", story in ''Bronx Biannual 2: The Journal of Urbane Urban Literature'' (2007), ed. Miles Marshall Lewis * "What's Your Fantasy: MARVELOUS WORLD", article in ''VIBE'' (2007) * "Fallen", poem in ''The 2007 Rhysling Anthology: The Best Science fiction, Fantasy, and Horror poetry of 2006'', ed. Drew Morse (Science Fiction Poetry Association with Prime Books) * "Bender's Bow", story in ''ColorLines Magazine'': The national magazine on race and politics (2008) * Two quotes featured in ''“Language Is a Place of Struggle”: Great Quotes by People of Color'', ed. Tram Nguyen (Beacon Press, 2008, ) * Five poems in ''Tempu Tupu! (Walking Naked): Africana Women's Poetic Self-Portrait edited by Nagueyalti Warren'' (Red Sea/Africa World Press, March 2008) * “The Ferryman”, from Bonecarver in ''Afro-Future Females: Black Writers Chart Science Fiction’s Newest New Wave Trajectory'', ed. Marleen S. Barr, foreword by Hortense Spillers (May 2008, Ohio State University Press, and ) * "Touch", story reprinted in ''80! Memories & Reflections on Ursula K. Le Guin'', edited by Karen Joy Fowler and Debbie Notkin (Aqueduct Press, October 2010, ) * ''Shotgun Lullabies: Short Stories & Poems'' (2011), Volume 28 in the "Conversation Pieces Series", Seattle, WA: Aqueduct Press, * "Introduction" (2015), in ''Salsa Nocturna'' by Daniel Jose Turner, Brooklyn, NY: Crossed Genres Press, * "Foreword: Birth of a Revolution" (2015), in ''Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from the Social Justice Movement'', Oakland, CA: AK Press, * "The Dragon Can't Dance" (2015), in ''

Transition Magazine ''Transition Magazine'' was established in 1961 by Rajat Neogy as ''Transition Magazine: An International Review''. It was published from 1961 to 1976 in various countries on the African continent, and since 1991 in the United States. In recent y ...

'', Issue 117, The

Hutchins Center for African and African American Research The Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, also known as the Hutchins Center, is affiliated with Harvard University. The Center supports scholarly research on the history and culture of people of African descent around the world ...

at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA: Indiana University Press * "Nightflight" (2015), in ''Memphis Noir'', Brooklyn, NY: Akashic Press, * "River Clap Your Hands" (2015), in the ''Stories for Chip: A Tribute to Samuel R. Delany'', Greenbelt, MD: Rosarium Publishing, * ''Obsidian: Literature and Arts in the African Diaspora'' (2016), Volume 42.1–42.2, "And So Shaped the World" in ''Speculating Futures: Black Imagination & the Arts'', Normal, IL: Illinois State University, * "Treesong" (2016), in ''An Alphabet of Embers: An Anthology of Unclassifiables'', Lawrence, KS: Stone Bird Press, * ''Sleeping Under the Tree of Life'' (2016), Volume 50 in the “Conversation Pieces Series”, Seattle, WA: Aqueduct Press, * "Tree of the Forest Seven Bells Turns the World Round Midnight" (2017), in ''Sycorax's Daughters'', San Francisco, CA: Cedar Grove Publishing, * "Aunt Dissy's Policy Dream Book" (2017), in
Apex Magazine
' and in ''Mojo Rising: Contemporary Writers'', Jackson, MS: Sartoris Literary Group, * "Who Needs the Stars When the Full Moon Loves You" (2017), in ''Revise the Psalm: Works Celebrating the Writing of Gwendolyn Brooks'', Chicago, IL: Curbside Splendor Press, * "Dear Octavia, Octavia E. Butler, Ms. Butler, Mother of Changes" (2017), in ''Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler'', Australia: Twelfth Planet Press, * "Graze a Dark Field", poem in ''Ghost Fishing: An Eco-Justice Poetry Anthology'' (2018), University of Georgia Press, * '' Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction'' (2022), co-edited with

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki or Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald is a Nigerian speculative fiction writer and editor residing in New York. His fiction and non-fiction have appeared in ''Omenana Magazine'', Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores', ''Tor.com'', ' ...

and Zelda Knight.

TorDotCom ''Tor.com'' is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Tor Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers. The magazine publishes articles, reviews, original short fiction, re-reads and commentary on speculative fiction. From 20 ...

, ISBN 9781250833006

References

Sources

* Bringing Challenging Feminist Science Fiction to the Demanding Reader (Aqueduct Press

* Thomas, Sheree Renée (The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

Sheree Thomas Bibliography site by Hachette Book Group

, Steven Barnes, and Sheree R. Thomas on NPR, News & Notes, August 13, 2007 (Audio)
Creating Dark Matter: An Interview with Sheree Renée Thomas
''Strange Horizons'' (2009)

"Aqueduct Press: Conversation Pieces" (2011)

Sheree Renée Thomas' DARK MATTER - MEMPHIS Magazine (2014)

Black to the Future - Afrofuturism Comes to Memphis "TheCommercialAppeal.com" (April 13, 2018)

It's Not Just Black Panther: Afrofuturism Is Having a Moment" - TIME Magazine (April 20, 2018)

Dieselfunk Dispatch: BSAM MEMPHIS! With Sheree Renée Thomas, BleedingCool (April 21, 2018) {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Sheree Science fiction editors American book editors People from Memphis, Tennessee Living people American science fiction writers 20th-century American short story writers 21st-century American short story writers American women short story writers American short story writers Women science fiction and fantasy writers Afrofuturist writers 1972 births 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers 20th-century African-American women writers 20th-century African-American writers 21st-century African-American women writers 21st-century African-American writers

Career

Publications

References

Sources

External links