A 501(c)(3) organization: It is the mission of Parsec “to promote awareness of the richness of speculative fiction as literature, art and music; further general education in the sciences and arts, support contributions–both scientific and artistic–to society and to espouse the enjoyment of speculative fiction as literature, art and music with others.”
A 501(c)(3) organization: It is the mission of Parsec “to promote awareness of the richness of speculative fiction as literature, art and music; further general education in the sciences and arts, support contributions–both scientific and artistic–to society and to espouse the enjoyment of speculative fiction as literature, art and music with others.”
Date: Saturday, Oct 18, 2025 Time: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm. Room opens at 12:30pm. Location: Carnegie Library Squirrel Hill, Meeting Room B with a Zoom option. You will need to register for the zoom meeting before 12:30pm
Teresa Milbrodt is the author of three short story collections: Instances of Head-Switching, Bearded Women: Stories, and Work Opportunities. She has also published a novel, The Patron Saint of Unattractive People, and a flash fiction collection, Larissa Takes Flight: Stories. Her fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry have appeared in numerous literary magazines. Teresa’s scholarly interests include disability humor, disability and sexuality, and creative practice in disability communities. Her insights in this area can be of great value to writers hoping to be inclusive in creating characters whose disabilities are part of their normal lives. She loves cats, long walks with her MP3 player, independently owned coffee shops, peanut butter frozen yogurt, and texting hearts in rainbow colors.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Squirrel Hill. 5801 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217
In September, Danny Hankner of Story Unlikely visits to tell us about his 2026 writing contest and its $5,000 prize package and new REPRINT category.
Date: Saturday, Sept 20, 2025 Time: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm. Room opens at 12:30pm. Location: Carnegie Library Squirrel Hill, Meeting Room B with a Zoom option.
Story Unlikely is a monthly literary magazine publishing short stories all over the literary landscape. The magazine is not concerned with genre; you can stay within the lines, combine a few, or invent a new one. Danny’s goal is to publish top-tier fiction (and creative non-fiction), and he believes allowing creatives to be creative is the best way to make that happen.
Danny Hankner began penning stories about himself and his idiot friends as a teenager. Now, masquerading as an adult, he lives in Davenport, Iowa with his wife and kids, working as a master electrician for his own company. In his spare time, Dan rides and builds mountain bike trails, scrapes infinitely spawning cat hurl off the basement floor, and runs Story Unlikely, an award-winning literary magazine where he floats around self-important titles like Benevolent Dictator and Literary Spirit Guide. His written material has been consumed by hundreds of thousands of people from all four corners of the globe.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Squirrel Hill. 5801 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Burgers, hot dogs, buns, ice, some beverages and other assorted picnic necessities will be provided by Parsec.
Plenty of room for gaming, readings and more!
The pavilion is wheelchair accessible.
Friends of Parsec are welcome! All Parsec meetings are free to attend & open to the public.
This is a potluck event. It is suggested that everyone bring a dish to share: salad, side dish, dessert or snacks/chips & dip. You can indicate what you will be bringing in the Parsec Picnic RSVP form.
Parsec will supply charcoal, meats (burgers & hot dogs) buns, condiments, ice, some non-alcohol beverages (a mix of diet, sugared and teas). tortilla chips & salsa, candy & nuts, and paper products (plates, napkins, flatware).
This event is free to attend and open to friends of Parsec and those wishing to learn more about Parsec. Donations will be gratefully accepted during the event.
The driving route to the large pavilion is to take Mcfarland road to Annapolis Ave. Right before the elementary school there is a small road, make the left on to Memorial Ave. On the right you might see a very small access road, make the right on to that road and follow it up to the pavillion. Parking at the pavilion site is limited. Please use the parking lot and walk the short distance to the pavilion if possible. To park in the lot and walk to the pavillion. From Annapolis Ave, go past the elementary school. On the left there is a small parking lot and a small, one way roadway that comes out of the park from the pavilion. You can walk that path to reach the pavillion.
*Media notice: PARSEC staff may choose to record, live-stream, or otherwise capture or record images and comments during in-person meetings or the Zoom event. By attending or registering for any event, you agree that Parsec may use your likeness and recordings to publicize, reproduce, exhibit, distribute, broadcast, or digitize the resulting content for use in marketing, promotion, and advancement efforts. This may include publications, marketing videos, advertising, websites and/or other public marketing for any purpose consistent with the Parsec status as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. If you prefer that your likeness not be used, please turn off your camera during Zoom recordings. Announcements will be made prior to the start of recordings and/or image captures and/or photography.
First Place: Joyce Bevc, for her story Achromotrichia.
Originally from Johnstown, PA, Joyce Bevc headed to the big city to attend the University of Pittsburgh and has lived here ever since. Joyce’s short stories have been published in Strangest Fiction and Altered Reality anthologies, as well as in the Mensa Bulletin.
Second Place: J.L. Theoret. Blood and Stone.
Third Place: Alicia Maskley. The Flesh We Keep.
Youth Story: Amelia Streeter. A Forest’s Vicissitude.
Thank you to everyone that participated, our Judges; SJ Powell, Eric Leif Davin, and Barbara A. Barnett, and to our wonderful coordinator this year, M.C. Benner Dixon!
In June, we welcome Theresa Mather, A professional artist since 1989. She is the Featured Artist at the Confluence Conference, Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel, July 25, 26, and 27, 2025.
Date: Saturday, July 19, 2025 Time: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm. Room opens at 12:30pm. Location: Carnegie Library Squirrel Hill, Meeting Room B with a Zoom option.
Theresa Mather creates fantasy works featuring a variety of unusual creatures. She is best known for her pieces painted on feathers and stone; she integrates her paintings with the colors and textures of the natural medium. Visit Theresa’s Website to see all the gorgeous artwork she has created! https://rockfeatherscissors.com/
Theresa draws much of her inspiration from the world around her. She chooses to work outside of gaming and publication, exhibiting and selling her work at science fiction convention art shows across the country. She enjoys the freedom this gives her to paint whatever she desires, allowing her paintings to be truly her creations.
SAVE THE DATE!
The Parsec Picnic will be held Saturday August 23rd! The 4th Saturday in Aug. The Picnic will be held at the Dormont Park large pavilion, just like the last few years. 1801 Dormont Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15216
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Squirrel Hill. 5801 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217
In June, we welcome Chris Pasetto, a lead game designer at both Interplay Entertainment and Rockstar Games, as well as a Senior Designer at High Moon Studios.
Chris’s presentation will be “Narrative Interaction: Common DNA Across Different Media.”
Chris Pasetto started his career at DreamForge Intertainment and has worked as a lead game designer at both Interplay Entertainment and Rockstar Games, as well as Senior Designer at High Moon Studios. Video game fans may know designer Chris Pasetto for his story work on major action games like “Call of Duty” and “Transformers.” Chris is also known for the films “How I Survived the Zombie Apocalypse” (2009) and “Air,” starring Norman Reedus (2015), and the graphic novel “Kill the Minotaur.” His tale “Waiting for a Crash” was featured in Scribner’s Best of the Fiction Workshops 1998.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Squirrel Hill. 5801 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217
In April, we welcome David Hankins. David is an award-winning author who writes from the thriving cornfields of Iowa where he lives with his wife, daughter, and two dragons disguised as cats.
Date: Saturday, April 19th, 2025 Time: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm. Location: ZOOM only!
David Hankins writing journey began in the oral tradition of convincing his daughter to Go To Sleep with inventive stories. That usually backfired. After years of Just One More Story, David began transcribing his midnight ramblings in an attempt to keep his storylines straight. Children are ruthless in identifying mistakes in fairy tales. David writes lighthearted speculative fiction because that’s what he loves to read and-this is the important bit-there’s not nearly enough humor in the world. He aims to change that, one story at a time. David devotes his time to his passions of writing, traveling, and finding new ways to pay his mortgage. You can find him at https://davidhankins.com/
During this event we’re going to talk with David about Branding and Social Media can work to an author’s benefit. From his fedora to the micro-duckies that accompany him everywhere. David knows how to present himself consistently with the brand of “David Hankins,” which includes good humor, a welcoming smile, and a modestly dapper appearance. This ‘presentation’ of self may come across as genuine, but it takes focus and dedication to pull off and consistently promote across multiple media channels.
The Parsec Monthly Meeting is now the Parsec Monthly Event!
Please note the venue change for March!
Date: Sat March 15, 2025. Location: ZOOM and IN PERSON at the Mt. Lebanon Library 16 Castle Shannon Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15228. Event is in Room A, lower level. Time: 12:30 to 3:30pm Open to the Public!
Our program this month is to brainstorm about this year’s Confluence Conference, to be held at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel on July 25, 26 & 27 2025. The focus of this months event is to propose and discuss panel topics for the Confluence conference. We welcome input and ideas from all Parsec members and guests of Parsec.
Come and help us plan an outstanding year for Confluence!
Below are some panel ideas just to get you thinking:
Pittsburgh as a Speculative Setting
How can Pittsburgh’s industrial history and modern reinvention inspire unique SFF
narratives?
AI as Co-Creator of Genre Fiction
Discuss the role of artificial intelligence in writing
Cross-Genre Mashups: When Sci-Fi Meets Fantasy Meets Noir
Inspired by Rambo’s eclectic work, discuss the appeal and challenges of blending genres.
Finding Beauty in Broken Worlds
Explore the balance of hope and darkness in SFF narratives.
How Today’s Tech Shapes Tomorrow’s Fiction
Examine how AI, robotics, modern space efforts, and biotechnology influence
speculative storytelling, with a nod to Pittsburgh’s tech hub status.
Please Note: Our venue for the February meeting will be ZOOM Only. See below to register for the meeting.
PARSEC, Pittsburgh’s premier Science Fiction & Fantasy Organization meets on Saturday, February 15th, 2025. Meeting starts at 1:00pm (est). Zoom room opens at 12:30 for social time.
Our guests this month are Mary Soon Lee, Alex Jennings, and Vincent Baverso.
It’s a time for hearing from old friends and hearing new voices. Each guest will present some of their favorite works.
As always, we’ll have time for attending members to read some of their own poems as well.
Mary Soon Lee was born and raised in London, but has lived in Pittsburgh for thirty years. She is a Grand Master of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association, and a three-time winner of both the AnLab Readers’ Award and the Rhysling Award. Her latest books are from opposite shores of the poetry ocean: How to Navigate Our Universe, containing how-to astronomy poems, and The Sign of the Dragon, novel-length epic fantasy, winner of the Elgin Award. https://marysoonlee.com/
Alex Jennings is a writer/editor/teacher/poet living in Baton Rouge. He was born in Wiesbaden (Germany) and raised in Gaborone (Botswana), Tunis (Tunisia), Paramaribo (Surinam) and the United States. e is the Program Director of DreamFoundry’s Con or Bust and pens a regular speculative poetry review column in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction called “Chapter and Verse.” In 2022, he was the inaugural recipient of the Imagination Unbound Fellowship at Under the Volcano, a guided writing retreat held annually in Tepoztlan, Mexico. https://www.alexjennings.net
Vincent Baverso earned a degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh in 2004. He’s seen publication in several journals and anthologies for both poetry and fiction, including Triangulation: Lost Voices, Scifaikuest, Devolution Z, Slink Chunk, and most recently in Polis from Air and Nothingness Press. His most recent publication is “The 49 Stalks” a book of Haiku inspired by the ancient wisdom of the I Ching featuring 132 carefully crafted haiku along with 15 striking haiga paintings. https://vbaverso.com/
PARSEC, Pittsburgh’s premier SF/F/H Organization meets on Saturday, January 18th , 2025 via ZOOM (see registration link below) and IN PERSON at the Mt. Lebanon Library, 16 Castle Shannon Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15228 Meeting time: 1:00 – 3:30 pm. (room opens at 12:30 for social time)
In January, our guest is Maren Cooke of Pittsburgh’s Sustainability Salon. A planetary scientist by training, today she works in environmental education and activism around climate, air quality, plastics, food, labor, and justice.
Maren Cooke is a planetary scientist by training, but now works mainly on environmental education and activism around climate, air quality, plastics, food, labor, and justice.
She serves in leadership roles at the Group Against Smog & Pollution, 350 Pittsburgh, ReImagine Food Systems, Pittsburghers Against Single-Use Plastic, Pittsburgh Green New Deal, and the Climate Action Plan Justice Coalition, and works closely with many other local organizations and government officials; she co-founded Putting Down Roots, Ohio Valley Environmental Resistance, the Pittsburgh Labor Choir, a school garden at a local K-8, and a nature education program in Frick Park. https://marenslist.blogspot.com/
Maren volunteers as an Urban Ecosteward, a Tree Tender, a Master Gardener, a Master Composter, and a Master Naturalist. Maren often creates banners and signage for local movements, and organizes and hosts Sustainability Salons, a monthly environmental education forum now 13 years running.
