Say JOE-KAH (rhymes loosely with Mocha).
Though not the oldest of my creations, the Jokka are among the most famous for their appearances in three short stories in Strange Horizons. My first drawings of the Jokka showed up around 1999 when I decided to explore a race with three sexes, male, female and neuter. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that they have a chance to Turn from one sex to the other at two puberties! Their world, I noted, had dwindled from an age of glory and plenty to one of scarcity. The pitiless climate that now dominates the southeastern culture conspires with biology to stunt the mental processes of the females and males, both of which fall prey to the equivalent of strokes.
Despite, or perhaps because of, their hardships, the Jokka deeply value the precious things of life, and this predilection for finding beauty even in the depths of hardship seems to have won them many friends. It helps that they can be gaily patterned, come in most colors, and have long, flowing hair...
Published Stories
"Freedom, Spiced and Drunk," Strange Horizons."Money for Sorrow, Made Joy," Strange Horizons.
"Unspeakable," Strange Horizons.
"We Defy Old Stars," Oceans of the Mind.
Projects Involving the Jokka
Novel: The Worth of a ShellShort Stories: Stories from the Universe of Shell
Website: Cheldzan Jokku
Images
