On New Year’s Day 2006, I was searching for a new writing project for the upcoming year. I’d previously been one of the writers involved in DLSIJ’s collaborative book, The Insomniac Tales. I enjoyed working on it so much that I posted a note on The Lit Chicks website (www.thelitchicks.com) to see if anyone wanted to do another anthology. Other writers expressed interest, a theme was chosen, and the next thing I knew I was gathering together dozens of stories about women living in alternative realities.
When I first started posting notices for submissions, I wasn’t sure what kind of stories—if any—we would be receiving. But soon they started pouring in: Tales about other worlds, mythical creatures, visitors from other planets, heroes from the past, and contemporary women dealing with strange events. They were written by young writers and by Baby Boomers. They came from published authors and from newcomers to the profession. They came from around the world and from all over the political and religious spectrum. They just kept coming!
Though each story was unique, they all shared one thing in common. Whether they were set on a distant planet, in the remote past or in a quirky version of the present, all of the stories were about women faced with a challenge. The heroes set out on quests, struggled to gain equality, endeavored to outwit old lovers, stood between danger and their families, defended their worlds, solved strange mysteries, or dealt with inner conflicts. Some had friends and family to help them. Others were on their own. But they all managed to face their particular challenge with their own unique flair. Just like women in our reality do every day and have been doing since the beginning of herstory.
WomanScapes is a collection of fictional troubles that can be dealt with in less than 12,000 words. Unfortunately, real-world women and their loved ones have been faced with more than a few challenges recently due to natural and manmade disasters. Responding to the global need for humanitarian aid during these emergencies, the WomanScapes authors have generously donated their talent so that the proceeds from the sale of this book can go to worldwide humanitarian relief efforts. I think it’s something that the characters highlighted in the anthology would approve of. Once you meet them, you’ll understand what I mean.
The creation of WomanScapes was truly a collaborative effort, with more than a dozen talented women contributing their visions to the project. I’d like to thank Sidney Jameson, DLSIJ Press’ editor, for the encouragement that turned a stray forum posting into a full-blown anthology. And my sincere apologies to the authors of all the great alternative realities that we weren’t able to include in the book. I was honored—and humbled—to be able to read such a wonderful variety of alternative visions from so many great women writers.—EJ McFall