Don Sakers

Don Sakers is a science fiction writer and fan living in Maryland, who has written several novels and edited a short story collection. In 2009 he succeeded Thomas Easton as book reviewer for Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine. Sakers is probably best known in the science fiction community as a frequent guest speaker at science fiction conventions. Openly gay,^[1] he shares a home with his spouse, Thomas Atkinson, Meerkat Meade,^[2] which was featured in Weird Maryland.^[3][4] His self-described "day job" is with the Anne Arundel County public library.^[5]

When asked about the reaction to the diversity elements in his SF, Sakers said:

By and large, it seems to me that most SF fans are fairly comfortable with diversity. Part of this, I feel, comes from the common experience of being thought "weird" by the general populace.... Another reason that fans seem comfortable with diversity stems from the nature of Science Fiction itself. SF is often concerned with "the other" -- the alien being, the time traveler, the citizen of a totally different society. After you've wrapped your mind around the concept of falling in love with a silicon-based insectoid creature whose society is based on ritual cannibalism, a friendly chat with the black lesbian sitting next to you is easy to handle.

—Don Sakers, see ^[6]

Written works and editing

Sakers is the author of sf novels Dance for the Ivory Madonna (2002) and companion titles Weaving the Web of Days (2004), A Voice in Every Wind (2003), A Rose From Old Terra (2007) and The Leaves of October (1988); and dark fantasy novel Curse of the Zwilling (2003),^[7] He is also author of the short story "The Cold Solution" (Analog, 1991) and other short fiction. Sakers was editor of Carmen Miranda's Ghost Is Haunting Space Station Three (1990), the SF Book of Days (2004),^[8] and the Gaylaxicon 2006 Sampler.^[9]

Gay Young Adult Novels

Sakers is also the author of two gay young adult novels: Act Well Your Part (1986) and Lucky in Love (1988).

Dance for the Ivory Madonna

Dance for the Ivory Madonna is formally about when

it's 2042, and the U.S. has split into three nations; special interest groups have their own House in Congress; artificial intelligence has kicked humans out of cyberspace; and the African continent, a hotbed of technological advancement, is united under a contract government called Umoja. Making his way through this brave new world is a young African-American operative of a secret organization whose task is to avenge his father's murder and save humankind.

—Publisher's Weekly review, cited at ^[10]

The author says it is really about:

a lot of things: friendship, toleration, a celebration of the creative spirit, a paen to unconventionality. It's about what's wrong with today's world, what's right with today's world, and what hope there is for the future. It's about how our technology affects us, and about the decisions we can make regarding those effects.

—Don Sakers, see ^[11]

Dance for the Ivory Madonna was a Spectrum Award finalist, and received many Hugo award nominations.

Scattered worlds

Sakers has written five books in what he calls the "Scattered Worlds Universe":

1. Dance for the Ivory Madonna,
2. Weaving the Web of Days,
3. A Voice in Every Wind, consisting of two short stories,
4. A Rose From Old Terra, and
5. The Leaves of October, which started as a short story in August 1983's Analog, and was expanded as a novel in 1988.

Science fiction conventions

Speculative fiction portal

Sakers was guest of honor at the 1995 Gaylaxicon,^[12][13] and is a frequent guest speaker at other Gaylaxicons,^[14] Albacon, Arisia, and Boskone.^[15]

Melissa Scott called him "a left wing Heinlein."^[16]

A member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, he has written numerous obituaries for their web site, including that of Lisa A. Barnett.^[17] Sakers is an active blogger.^[18]

Personal life

Sakers is married to costumer Thomas Atkinson. He lives in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.^[19]

References

1. ^ SFRevu Interview. Accessed January 23, 2008. "For the record, I am gay, of Caucasian ancestry, and fall into the category of "obese" rather than Ivory-Madonna-range 'fat.' I do have good friends who are black, as well as others who are fat."
2. ^ Meerkat Meade Blog by Don Sakers. Accessed January 23, 2008.
3. ^ Matt Lake, Mark Moran, and Mark Sceurman, Weird Maryland, p. 137, 138 (2006 Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.), ISBN 02739060, found at Weird Maryland at Google Books. Accessed June 23, 2008.
4. ^ Reader's advice page about The Star Toys Museum. Accessed June 23, 2008.
5. ^ Don Saker bio at readersadvice.com
6. ^ SFRevu Interview. Accessed January 23, 2008.
7. ^ Review of Curse of the Zwilling. Accessed January 23, 2008.^{[dead link]}
8. ^ SF site review of SF Book of Days. Accessed January 23, 2008.
9. ^ Powell's Books review of Gaylaxicon 2006 Sampler. Accessed January 23, 2008.
10. ^ Foxacre web site. Accessed January 23, 2008.
11. ^ SFRev Interview
12. ^ Gaylaxian Guest of Honor Speech. Accessed January 23, 2008.
13. ^ Gaylaxicon 1995 Badges
14. ^ Gaylaxicon panel list. Accessed January 23, 2008.
15. ^ Boskone 2007 program. Accessed January 23, 2008.
16. ^ SFRevu Interview. Accessed January 23, 2008.
17. ^ Sakers, Don (2006-05-04). "Lisa A. Barnett". Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. http://www.sfwa.org/news/2006/lbarnett.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-16. 
18. ^ Profile at Blogger.com. Accessed January 23, 2008.
19. ^ [1]

External links

• Official web site
• Scattered Worlds web site

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