Here’s what we’ve got lined up for you in this special issue: Original fantasy—edited by Daniel José Older—by N.K. Jemisin, P. Djeli Clark, Darcie Little Badger, and Thoraiya Dyer; Reprints—selected by Amal El-Mohtar—by Sofia Samatar, Celeste Rita Baker, Shweta Narayan, and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson; Nonfiction articles—edited by Tobias S. Buckell—by Justina Ireland, Ibi Zoboi, Erin Roberts, Karen Lord, John Chu, Brandon O’Brien, and Chinelo Onwualu; plus an original cover illustration by Emily Osborne and original interior illustrations by Reimena Yee and Ana Bracic.
When it comes to worldbuilding, especially in fantasy, it’s those little elements that add texture to the setting: the clothing, the food, the architecture, the color and scents. The world of the Ten Chiefdoms has diverse inspirations: from Central Africa to the Caribbean. So you see bits of history, music, folklore, politics, and even dialect, of these vast regions interwoven throughout.
Tausi sat listening to her aunts, who crowded in a circle at the far end of the room. Their dresses were a kaleidoscope of greens, reds, blues, and yellows, each worked with repeating patterns that shifted with the eye. Huddled like that they seemed to her one polychromatic beast with seven heads and fourteen limbs. None of them made an effort to whisper as they planned her life.
