John Joseph Adams
@johnjosephadams.com
Series Editor of BASFF. Publisher of @lightspeedmagazine.com (+ Editor) and NIGHTMARE. Editor of 40+ anthologies. Co-editor (with Jordan Peele) of OUT THERE SCREAMING.
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I literally gasped
November 10, 2025 at 3:02 AM
I literally gasped
Are there truly editors who try to eliminate the em-dash from manuscripts? Who are they? Tell me! I'll go fight them. I'm such an em-dash advocate that I have a custom AutoHotKey keyboard shortcut to insert one without having to do the two-dash thing or ALT 0151.
November 9, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Are there truly editors who try to eliminate the em-dash from manuscripts? Who are they? Tell me! I'll go fight them. I'm such an em-dash advocate that I have a custom AutoHotKey keyboard shortcut to insert one without having to do the two-dash thing or ALT 0151.
Also, I had to talk to their chatbot before I talked to a human to complain about this, and the bot actually said "Try working primarily in the center content area rather than looking toward the upper right corner." 🤦♂️I'm not TRYING to look in the upper right corner motherfucker your UI is MAKING ME.
November 9, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Also, I had to talk to their chatbot before I talked to a human to complain about this, and the bot actually said "Try working primarily in the center content area rather than looking toward the upper right corner." 🤦♂️I'm not TRYING to look in the upper right corner motherfucker your UI is MAKING ME.
But look, I fixed it
November 9, 2025 at 4:19 PM
But look, I fixed it
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November 9, 2025 at 4:17 PM
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Is that the only original in the collection?
November 9, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Is that the only original in the collection?
It's fine, just pick one when you submit it. I might disagree and call it the other genre. Even if it's only questionably either, that's fine too.
November 8, 2025 at 2:16 PM
It's fine, just pick one when you submit it. I might disagree and call it the other genre. Even if it's only questionably either, that's fine too.
Speaking of all things BASFF, I was recently interviewed on the Upper Pen podcast, which you can watch on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uBv...
Inside The Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy 2025 with series editor John Joseph Adams
YouTube video by UpperPen
www.youtube.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Speaking of all things BASFF, I was recently interviewed on the Upper Pen podcast, which you can watch on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uBv...
I've got a copy!
November 7, 2025 at 5:15 PM
I've got a copy!
Definitely please submit that one, because On Spec basically never sent me copies. Maybe once or twice.
November 7, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Definitely please submit that one, because On Spec basically never sent me copies. Maybe once or twice.
@sentencebender.bsky.social I didn't realize this until now, but you have the most stories included in the Top 80 in BASFF all-time! (14) You're only 1 behind for most selections too.
If you wrote an SF/F/H story that was published in 2025 (or read a story that you thought was great), tell me about it in this thread!
Authors, also send your story to me here: johnjosephadams.com/basff-submis... (Please read the guidelines before submitting.)
Authors, also send your story to me here: johnjosephadams.com/basff-submis... (Please read the guidelines before submitting.)
November 7, 2025 at 5:03 PM
@sentencebender.bsky.social I didn't realize this until now, but you have the most stories included in the Top 80 in BASFF all-time! (14) You're only 1 behind for most selections too.
If you don't want to click:
Selections: Caroline M. Yoachim, Sofia Samatar (5); Adam-Troy Castro, Catherynne M. Valente, Sam J. Miller (4).
Top 80: Sam J. Miller (14); Maria Dahvana Headley (13); Carmen Maria Machado, Charlie Jane Anders, Ken Liu, Rich Larson, Sofia Samtar, Yoon Ha Lee (11).
Selections: Caroline M. Yoachim, Sofia Samatar (5); Adam-Troy Castro, Catherynne M. Valente, Sam J. Miller (4).
Top 80: Sam J. Miller (14); Maria Dahvana Headley (13); Carmen Maria Machado, Charlie Jane Anders, Ken Liu, Rich Larson, Sofia Samtar, Yoon Ha Lee (11).
November 7, 2025 at 4:54 PM
If you don't want to click:
Selections: Caroline M. Yoachim, Sofia Samatar (5); Adam-Troy Castro, Catherynne M. Valente, Sam J. Miller (4).
Top 80: Sam J. Miller (14); Maria Dahvana Headley (13); Carmen Maria Machado, Charlie Jane Anders, Ken Liu, Rich Larson, Sofia Samtar, Yoon Ha Lee (11).
Selections: Caroline M. Yoachim, Sofia Samatar (5); Adam-Troy Castro, Catherynne M. Valente, Sam J. Miller (4).
Top 80: Sam J. Miller (14); Maria Dahvana Headley (13); Carmen Maria Machado, Charlie Jane Anders, Ken Liu, Rich Larson, Sofia Samtar, Yoon Ha Lee (11).
I also just added a tab to that spreadsheet to show author data—i.e., how many times an author has been selected for inclusion and how many times they've been included in the Top 80.
November 7, 2025 at 4:51 PM
I also just added a tab to that spreadsheet to show author data—i.e., how many times an author has been selected for inclusion and how many times they've been included in the Top 80.
Might as well mention too that the latest volume—#11!!!—reprinting the best of 2024 is now available, edited by me and guest editor Nnedi Okorafor www.johnjosephadams.com/projects/bes...
» Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2025
www.johnjosephadams.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Might as well mention too that the latest volume—#11!!!—reprinting the best of 2024 is now available, edited by me and guest editor Nnedi Okorafor www.johnjosephadams.com/projects/bes...
If anyone's curious, I put together a spreadsheet that has all of the stories that have either been selected for inclusion in BASFF or were one of the Notable Stories. Stories selected for inclusion are in blue text. www.johnjosephadams.com/basff-top-80...
» BASFF Top 80: All-Time
www.johnjosephadams.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:31 PM
If anyone's curious, I put together a spreadsheet that has all of the stories that have either been selected for inclusion in BASFF or were one of the Notable Stories. Stories selected for inclusion are in blue text. www.johnjosephadams.com/basff-top-80...
what how could that help
November 7, 2025 at 4:04 PM
what how could that help
I knew "shadow" and "dragon" were in it, so that let me find it real quick en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sha...
The Shadow War of the Night Dragons - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 7, 2025 at 11:13 AM
I knew "shadow" and "dragon" were in it, so that let me find it real quick en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sha...
In the 100+ year old house I grew up in there was this rickety staircase up to the attic. At some point one of the tread planks came up and revealed a little inaccessible room under the stairs. I really wanted to put a skeleton in there for someone to find later.
November 5, 2025 at 3:24 PM
In the 100+ year old house I grew up in there was this rickety staircase up to the attic. At some point one of the tread planks came up and revealed a little inaccessible room under the stairs. I really wanted to put a skeleton in there for someone to find later.