Eugen Bacon

Eugen Bacon is an African-Australian computer scientist and author of speculative fiction.

She has won or been nominated for national and international awards, including the Philip K Dick Award, Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, World Fantasy Award, British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Award,[1] Bridport Prize,[2] Australian Shadows Awards,[3] Ditmar Awards,[4] British Fantasy Award,[1] and Nommo Award for Speculative Fiction by Africans.[5] She also writes nonfiction.[6] She is a professional editor registered with the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd),[7] and has been a judge in various competitions including the Aurealis Awards,[8] Norma K Hemming Awards [9] and Australian Shadows Awards.[10]

Early life

She was born Eugen Matoyo in Tanzania,[11][12] and she speaks English and Swahili.[13] She lived in the UK before moving to Melbourne, Australia.[13][14]

Education

Eugen Bacon has a Master of Science with distinction in distributed computer systems from the University of Greenwich, UK.[15] She also holds a Master of Arts in creative writing and a doctorate in writing, both from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia. She worked in ICT in a service provider role before becoming a writer.[16]

Writing

She has published short fiction and novels in various genres within the literary speculative fiction field, including black speculative fiction and afrofuturism. She also writes nonfiction including essays, scholarly articles, book chapters and books.[17][18]

Bibliography

Novels

  • Serengotti. Transit Lounge Publishing. 2023.
  • Secondhand Daylight. Cosmic Egg Books. 2023.
  • Mage of Fools (2022)[19]
  • Claiming T-Mo. Meerkat Press. 2019.

Novellas

Short fiction

Collections
Stories[24]
Title Year First published Reprinted/collected Notes
Human Beans 2022 Bacon, Eugen (September 2022). Life Beyond Us. [1] European Astrobiology Institute.
The Devil Don't Come With Horns 2022 Bacon, Eugen (July 2022). Other Terrors: An Inclusive Anthology. [2] Mariner
Naked Earth 2022 Bacon, Eugen (March 2022). Phase Change: Imagining Energy Futures. [3] Twelfth Planet Press
The Failing Name 2021 Bacon, Eugen & Seb Doubinsky (August 2021). "The failing name". Fantasy Magazine. 70.
When the Water Stops 2021 Bacon, Eugen (May 2021). Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
A Visit in Whitechapel 2021 Bacon, Eugen (October 2021), London Centric: Tales of Future London [4], NewCon Press
Baba Klep 2021 Bacon, Eugen (September 2021), The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction [5], Jembefola
Unlimited Data 2021 Bacon, Eugen (February 2021), Cyberfunk![6], MV Media

Anthologies (edited)

Poetry

  • Texture of Silence: An Illustrated Collection of Prose Poetry (2023), with Steve Simpson[7]
  • Saving Shadows (2021)[8]
  • Speculate: A Collection of Microlit (2021), with Dominique Hecq[9]
  • Frame of Reference (2021)[25]
  • Black Moon (2020)[10]
  • Her Bitch Dress (2020)[25]
  • It's Folking Political (2020)[26]

Non-fiction

Books
Articles
  • Crafting Stories within a Story 2013[27]
  • Peaches and Lemons – Peter Temple and Michael Ondaatje 2016[28]
  • The Writer 2013[29]
  • Hang Him When He's Not There 2016[30]
  • Chewing Over the Trials of Unemployment 2011[31]
  • Crossing genre - exemplars of literary speculative fiction 2017[32]
  • What is AfroSF? 2018[33]
  • Writing and Reading Speculative Fiction 2019[34]
  • The Rise of Black Speculative Fiction 2020[35]
  • Dark Fiction 2020[36]
  • Southerly review 2014[37]
  • Journaling - a path to exegesis in creative research 2014[38]
  • Review of Angela Meyer's Captives 2015[39]
  • Being Marcus 2015[40]
  • Push—a prototype of displaced fiction in the YA literature debate: Breaking the circle of silence 2015[41]
  • Creative practice - finding the right mentor 2015[42]
  • Creative research: Mixing methods in practice-led research to explore a model of stories-within-a-story to build a novel 2017[43]
  • Scholarly exegesis as a memoir 2017[44]
  • The creation of a toxic utopia in David Coleman's The Shaming 2019[45]
  • I went looking for AfroSF 2020[46]
  • Becoming visible: The Rise of Black Speculative Fiction 2020[47]
  • Review of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's Birth of a Dream Weaver 2020[48]
  • The Benefit of Our Humanity 2020[49]
  • The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi 2020[50]
  • Afrofuturism: A WorldCon Recap, and Some Thoughts 2020[51]
  • The New Seduction of an Old Literary Crime Classic 2020[52]
  • Inhabitation-Genni and I 2020 [13]
  • World building in Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi (Worlds Apart: Worldbuilding in Fantasy & Science Fiction, Luna Press Publishing, 2021)[53]
  • 'Trends in black speculative fiction' (Fafnir)[11]
  • Eugen Bacon: Agents of Change (Locus Magazine)
  • The Westsider: Eugen Bacon on the Power of Storytelling
  • HWA: Black Heritage in Horror - Interview with Eugen Bacon
  • British Fantasy Society - Meet Eugen Bacon

Critical studies and reviews of Bacon's work

JayLit Interview Series with Eugen Bacon
Secondhand Daylight
Exclusive Interview. Eugen Bacon and Andrew Hook. Paulsemel.com
Publishers Weekly (2023). Secondhand Daylight.
Mage of Fools
Danged Black Thing
Publishers Weekly (2023). Danged Black Thing
The Road to Woop Woop and Other Stories
  • Midalia, Susan (January–February 2021). "Playing with genre : an inventive collection". Australian Book Review. 428: 45.
  • Publishers Weekly (2021). "The Road to Woop Woop and Other Stories". Publishers Weekly.
Claiming T-Mo

Awards and nominations

Year Organisation Category Work Result Reference
2024 Philip K. Dick Award Fiction Danged Black Thing Nominee [12]
2024 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Fiction Serengotti Shortlist [13]
2023 British Fantasy Awards Non-Fiction An Earnest Blackness Winner [14]
2023 Otherwise Award Otherwise Award Danged Black Thing Honor List [15]
2023 Shirley Jackson Awards Best Novella Broken Paradise Finalist [16]
2023 African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) Nommo Awards for Speculative Fiction by Africans – Novella Broken Paradise Finalist [17]
2024 Foreword Indies Awards Literary Serengotti Finalist [18]
2024 Foreword Indies Awards Science Fiction Secondhand Daylight Finalist [19]
2024 British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Shorter Fiction Broken Paradise Shortlist [20]
2024 British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Short Non Fiction 'Dominant Themes in Afro-Centric Fiction' Shortlist [21]
2024 British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Artwork Danged Black Thing Shortlist [22]
2024 British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Short Fiction 'Sina, The Child With No Echo' Longlist [23]
2024 British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Short Fiction 'Paperweight ' Longlist [24]
2024 British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Collection Languages of Water Longlist [25]
2023 Foreword Indies Awards Science Fiction Mage of Fools Winner - Silver [26]
2023 Foreword Indies Awards Short Story Chasing Whispers Finalist [27]
2023 World Fantasy Award Short Story 'The Devil Don't Come With Horns' Finalist [28]
2023 Locus Award Non-Fiction An Earnest Blackness Finalist [29]
2023 British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Novel Mage of Fools Longlist [30]
2023 British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Non-fiction An Earnest Blackness Longlist [31]
2023 British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Artwork Mage of Fools Longlist [32]
2023 British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Artwork Chasing Whispers Longlist [33]
2022 World Fantasy Award Short Story 'The Failing Name' Finalist [34]
2022 Otherwise Award Otherwise Fellowships N/A Honor list [35]
2022 Aurealis Award Aurealis Awards Danged Black Thing Finalist [36]
2022 Foreword Indies Awards Best Collection Danged Black Thing Honorable Mention [37]
2022 Australian Horror Writers Association Australian Shadows Awards: Collected Works Danged Black Thing Finalist [38]
2022 British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Artwork (Peter Lo/Kara Walker) Danged Black Thing Short-Listed [39]
2022 Rhysling Award Short Poem 'Tons of Liquid Oxygen Buckle Too Late Under Strain' in Saving Shadows Nominee [40]
2022 Elgin Awards Full-length Books Saving Shadows Nominee [41]
2022 British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Artwork (Elena Betti) Saving Shadows Short-Listed [42]
2022 British Science Fiction Association Awards Short Story The Failing Name Long-Listed [43] Archived 27 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine
2022 Locus Magazine Recommended Reading Novels - Science Fiction Mage of Fools 2022 Recommended Reading List [44]
2022 Locus Magazine Recommended Reading Collection Chasing Whispers 2022 Recommended Reading List [45]
2022 Locus Magazine Recommended Reading Non-fiction An Earnest Blackness 2022 Recommended Reading List [46]
2021 African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) Nommo Awards for Speculative Fiction by Africans – Novella Ivory's Story Long-Listed [54]
2021 Australian Horror Writers Association Australian Shadows Awards: Edited works Hadithi & The State of Black Speculative Fiction Finalist
2021 African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) Nommo Awards for Speculative Fiction by Africans – Short Story 'The Road to Woop Woop'
'A Visit in Whitechapel'
'Still She Visits'
'The One Who Sees' 		Long-Listed [54]
2020 Foreword Indies Awards Short Story The Road to Woop Woop & Other Stories Finalist [55]
2020 British Science Fiction Association Awards Novella Ivory's Story Short-Listed [1]
2020 Locus Magazine Recommended Reading Collection The Road to Woop Woop & Other Stories 2020 Recommended Reading List [56]
2020 Katharine Susannah Prichard (KSP) Writers Centre Residency Programme Emerging Writer-in-Residence N/A Awarded [57]
2020 African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) Nommo Awards for Speculative Fiction by Africans – Novel Claiming T-Mo Long-Listed [5]
2020 African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) Nommo Awards for Speculative Fiction by Africans – Short Story A Pining Long-Listed [5]
2020 African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) Nommo Awards for Speculative Fiction by Africans – Short Story The Day Chivalry Died Long-Listed [5]
2020 African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) Nommo Awards for Speculative Fiction by Africans – Short Story A Good Ball Long-Listed [5]
2019 Australasian Horror Writers Association The Rocky Wood Award for Non-Fiction and Criticism Chapter 8 of Writing Speculative Fiction Finalist [3]
2019 Australian Science Fiction Foundation Ditmar Awards - Novel Claiming T-Mo Finalist [4]
2019 Australian Science Fiction Foundation Ditmar Awards – William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review Writing Speculative Fiction Finalist [4]
2018 Bridport Prize Short Story A Pining Shortlisted
2017 Copyright Agency Best prose Honey Gone Sour Winner [58]
2017 L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest Short Story A Case of Seeing Honourable Mention
2016 Fellowship of Australian Writers (FAW) Literary Awards Microfiction Award Mahuika Highly Commended
2016 Fellowship of Australian Writers (FAW) Literary Awards Angelo B. Natoli Short Story Award Jungolo Commended
2016 Alan Marshall Short Story Award Short Story Swimming with Daddy Shortlisted
2014 Lightship International Short Story Prize Short Story A Puzzle Piece Shortlisted
2013 Fish Short Story Prize Short Story Unusual Suspects Longlisted
2012 Lightship International Short Story Prize Short Story Rozaria's Memories Longlisted
2006 Pushcart Prize Short Story The Hybrid Nominated
2005 Tarralla Writers Group Short Story The Boy in the Gleam Shortlisted
2004 Writers Bureau Short Story Prize Short Story Morning Dew Awarded

References

  1. ^ a b c "The British Fantasy Award 2023 shortlists". Vector. British Science Fiction Association. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Eugen Bacon – Australian Short Story Festival Inc". australianshortstoryfestival.com.
  3. ^ a b "Past Winners". 13 December 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "sfadb: Ditmar Awards 2020". www.sfadb.com.
  5. ^ a b c d e "2020 Nommo Awards for Speculative Fiction by Africans Long List - African Speculative Fiction Society". www.africansfs.com. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  6. ^ Hecq, Dominique; Novitz, Julia (2018). Creative Writing with Critical Theory: Inhabitation. Gylphi. ISBN 9781780240688 – via www.gylphi.co.uk.
  7. ^ "Directory". iped.memnet.com.au.
  8. ^ "Judges". 27 July 2014.
  9. ^ "About the Jurors". 7 October 2017.
  10. ^ "Australian Shadows Awards". 9 February 2017.
  11. ^ "ASM #80". Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  12. ^ https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/the-bookshelf/the-bookshelf-friday-28-may-2021/133623 [dead link‍]
  13. ^ a b c "Inhabitation – Genni and I | Eugen Bacon on Black speculative fiction". Sydney Review of Books.
  14. ^ Written With Purpose: Eugen Bacon, retrieved 6 September 2021
  15. ^ "Reviewer Tanisha Rule Interviews Eugen Bacon, Author of The Road to Woop Woop and Other Stories". www.forewordreviews.com. 12 February 2021.
  16. ^ "INTERVIEW: Eugen Bacon meets Linda Hepworth". NB. 5 June 2019.
  17. ^ "Introducing Eugen Bacon". WFC2020. 23 July 2020.
  18. ^ "Macmillan Learning UK". Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  19. ^ "Meerkat Press to Publish Eugen Bacon's Mage of Fools in 2022". Meerkat Press. 27 October 2020.
  20. ^ "Hadithi & The State of Black Speculative Fiction". lunapresspublishing.
  21. ^ Ashton, Kris. "Black Moon: Graphic Speculative Flash Fiction". Andromeda Spaceways Magazine.
  22. ^ "The Road to Woop Woop & Other Stories". Meerkat Press. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  23. ^ "Transit Lounge signs Eugen Bacon's Danged Black Thing". 23 February 2021.
  24. ^ Short stories unless otherwise noted.
  25. ^ a b "Chapbooks". GINNINDERRA PRESS.
  26. ^ "It's Folking Political | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories". www.austlit.edu.au.
  27. ^ Eugen Bacon. ""Writerly passage: Crafting stories within a story"" (PDF). swinburne.edu.au. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  28. ^ "Peaches and lemons". bukkertillibul.net. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  29. ^ "Text". bukkertillibul.net.
  30. ^ "Eugen Bacon".
  31. ^ "Eugen Bacon - ABC News". www.abc.net.au. 19 April 2011.
  32. ^ "Aurealis #105 — Aurealis". aurealis.com.au.
  33. ^ "Aurealis #111 — Aurealis". aurealis.com.au.
  34. ^ "Aurealis #120 — Aurealis". aurealis.com.au.
  35. ^ "Aurealis #129 — Aurealis". aurealis.com.au.
  36. ^ "Aurealis #133 — Aurealis". aurealis.com.au.
  37. ^ "Review of Brooks & McMahon (eds), Forward Thinking TEXT Vol 18 No 2". www.textjournal.com.au.
  38. ^ "Eugen Bacon TEXT Vol 18 No 2". www.textjournal.com.au.
  39. ^ "Eugen Bacon reviews Captives by Angela Meyer". Mascara Literary Review. 23 September 2015.
  40. ^ Bacon, Eugen (2015). "Being Marcus". New Writing. 12 (3): 349–354. doi:10.1080/14790726.2015.1073743. S2CID 220352192.
  41. ^ Bacon, Eugen (2016). "Push –a prototype of displaced fiction: Breaking the circle of silence (YA Literature)". New Writing. 13: 30–41. doi:10.1080/14790726.2015.1117496. S2CID 146572346.
  42. ^ Bacon, Eugen (2016). "Creative practice – finding the right mentor". New Writing. 13 (2): 180–193. doi:10.1080/14790726.2015.1117495. S2CID 146457559.
  43. ^ Bacon, Eugen (2017). "Creative research: Mixing methods in practice-led research to explore a model of stories-within-a-story to build a novel". New Writing. 14 (2): 235–256. doi:10.1080/14790726.2016.1270969. S2CID 151549182.
  44. ^ Bacon, Eugen (2017). "The scholarly exegesis as a memoir". New Writing. 14 (3): 386–397. doi:10.1080/14790726.2017.1284245. S2CID 171513085.
  45. ^ "The creation of a toxic utopia in David Coleman's The Shaming | Blog-a-Blog". 7 May 2019.
  46. ^ The Editors (24 May 2020). "I Went Looking for AfroSF". {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  47. ^ The Editors (11 May 2020). "Becoming Visible: The Rise of Black Speculative Fiction". {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  48. ^ "Ngugi wa Thiong'o- Birth of a Dream Weaver, reviewed by Eugen Bacon". 17 June 2020. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  49. ^ "The Benefit of Our Humanity". 10 June 2020. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  50. ^ The Editors (19 December 2020). "Review: The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o". {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  51. ^ The Editors (4 August 2020). "Afrofuturism: A WorldCon Recap, and Some Thoughts". {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  52. ^ "The New Seduction of an Old Literary Crime Classic". 27 August 2020.
  53. ^ Barbini, Francesca T. (1 March 2021). "Call for Papers 2020: Worlds Apart". lunapresspublishing.
  54. ^ a b "2021 Nommo Awards Nomination Long List - African Speculative Fiction Society". www.africansfs.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  55. ^ ""The Road to Woop Woop and Other Stories" is a 2020 Foreword INDIES Finalist". www.forewordreviews.com.
  56. ^ "2020 Locus Recommended Reading List". 1 February 2021.
  57. ^ "Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers' Centre". Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  58. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)