It’s just very cool that both Robert Runté, and Lorina Stephens both have short stories published in Laksa Media Groups’ Strangers Among Us: Tales of the Underdogs and Outcasts.  

Robert had this to say on his blog:

Got my contributor’s copy of Strangers Among Us in the mail yesterday. Pretty pleased with the production values, and the company I am keeping in this anthology. The anthology will be officially launched August 12, 2016 at When Words Collide Festival in Calgary (at which, coincidentally, I am Editor Guest. I’m told as Editor Guest I get to do a 15 minute reading, so will have to see if I can maybe read this one..though it might be a little long.)

I had hoped to immerse myself in reading the stories by my fellow contributors this afternoon, but Tigana snatched it out of my hands as it came out of the packaging and ran off with it first. (That’s her bookmark you can see sticking up from the book—I had to borrow it back to take the photo…)

The anthology has an impressive list of contributors: Kelley Armstrong, Suzanne Church, A.M. Dellamonica, Gemma Files, James Alan Gardner, Bev Geddes, Erika Holt, Tyler Keevil, Rich Larson, Derwin Mak, Mahtab Narsimhan, Sherry Peters, Ursula Pflug, Robert Runté, Lorina Stephens, Amanda Sun, Hayden Trenholm, Edward Willett and A.C. Wise.

Who are the Strangers Among Us?

We are your fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, friends and lovers. We staff your stores, cross your streets, and study in your schools, invisible among you. We are your outcasts and underdogs, and often, your unsung heroes.

Nineteen science fiction and fantasy authors tackle the division between mental health and mental illness; how the interplay between our minds’ quirks and the diverse societies and cultures we live in can set us apart, or must be concealed, or become unlikely strengths.

We find troubles with Irish fay, a North Korean cosmonaut’s fear of flying, an aging maid dealing with politics of revenge, a mute boy and an army of darkness, a sister reaching out at the edge of a black hole, the dog and the sleepwalker, and many more.

After all, what harm can be done . . . .

Award winning author, Robert Sawyer, had this to say about Strangers Among Us:

“Strangers Among Us . . . is important, shining a much-needed spotlight on issues that get far too little attention. A wonderful anthology, one of the major SF&F books of the year. Bravo!”

More importantly, there is an objective to this project: A portion of Laksa Media’s net revenue from this anthology will go directly to support one of the programs provided by Canadian Mental Health Association. As well, Laksa Media will donate CAN$1,000 upon the publication of this anthology.

We think this is a worthy cause, and the anthology worthy of your attention. And there are some fabulous stories to boot!