Storm Constantine died
Storm Constantine
12 October 1956 - 14 January 2021
I just found out that Storm Constantine passed away. Her Wreaththu books were a revelation to me. I discovered them in Chicago’s The Stars Our Destination science fiction bookstore, while I was on a DAAD stipend in Chicago in 1993, researching the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. The Wreaththu books are a trilogy, and I read them out of order, Pellaz’ book first, then Calanthe’s, then Swift’s. I remember what a thrill it was when I found the third book of the trilogy hidden in a shelf behind a row of books.
Years later, I met Storm at a reading in Berlin’s Otherland sf&f bookstore, and I’ve been such a fan: I brought a bouquet of roses for Storm to the reading. She was so charming and wonderful. <3
The Wreaththu books were the first contemporary adult fantasy books I devoured with a passion like nothing else. I love the writing, Storm’s poetic style, and the radicalness of her vision and her world-building. I didn’t know it back then, but the Wreaththu books are “published slash”, and much of what I love in fandom later I first discovered in Storm’s books. It is no coincidence that my fandom name is Vaysh, a character from the Wreaththu Saga.
Her writing is beautiful. Her characters are genderfluid/hermaphrodites during a time when this was very much not en vogue. I'll go and re-read the Wreaththu Saga now.
xpost: https://vaysh.dreamwidth.org/1668402.html. Comments are welcome on both sites.