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Ahoy, Critterfolk!
New entry May 28
Critter Notices
Books from Critters!
Check out Books by Critters for books by your fellow Critterfolk, as well as my list of recommended books for writers.
How to Write SF
The Craft of Writing Science Fiction that Sells by Ben Bova, best-selling author and six-time Hugo Award winner for Best Editor. (This is one of the books your ol' Critter Captain learned from himself, and I highly recommend it.)
(Also via Amazon)
Space Travel for SF Writers

Hot off the presses from ReAnimus Press! Space Travel - A Science Fiction Writer's Guide— An indispensible tool for all SF writers that explains the science you need to help you make your fiction plausible. (Also via Amazon)
Interviewed!
I was interviewed live on public radio for Critters' birthday, for those who want to listen.
Free Web Sites
Free web sites for authors (and others) are available at www.nyx.net.
ReAnimus Acquires Advent!
ReAnimus Press is pleased to announce the acquisition of the legendary Advent Publishers! Advent is now a subsidiary of ReAnimus Press, and we will continue to publish Advent's titles under the Advent name. Advent was founded in 1956 by Earl Kemp and others, and has published the likes of James Blish, Hal Clement, Robert Heinlein, Damon Knight, E.E. "Doc" Smith, and many others. Advent's high quality titles have won and been finalists for several Hugo Awards, such as The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy and Heinlein's Children. Watch this space for ebook and print editions of all of Advent's current titles!
Book Recommendation
THE SIGIL TRILOGY:
The universe is dying from within...
"Great stuff... Really enjoyed it." — SFWA Grandmaster Michael Moorcock
Announcing ReAnimus Press
If you're looking for great stuff to read from bestselling and award-winning authors—look no further! ReAnimus Press was founded by your very own Critter Captain. (And with a 12% Affiliate program.) [More]
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FEATURED BOOK
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Weekly Notes
Notes for 05-Feb-2025... Critters Fund Drive helpers this week are sales of... A GUIDE TO BARSOOM by John Flint Roy - $9.99 ReAnimus Press Store: www.ReAnimus.com/1131 Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0066EOJFQ/?tag=critters3a-20 (available in ebook + paperback) Errata since first release (incorporated into files after 2/2017): errata.pdf THE OFFICIAL, DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO BARSOOM Fully Illustrated COME TO BARSOOM... AND ENJOY THE WONDERS OF ERB'S MARS When Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) wrote "Dejah Thoris, A Princess of Mars," in 1911, he had no idea that he was opening a new era in the science fiction field. His account of fifteen-foot green men, eight-legged beasts, oviparous females, and swordswinging red men was an immediate success. And the public clamored for more. Over a period of thirty years, Burroughs wrote ten Martian tales... the story of life and death, romance and tragedy on the Red Planet is undoubtedly one of the greatest series of all time. Burroughs created a world of dead seabeds, towering mountains, polar ice caps, underground rivers ... he peopled the planet with four different human races and one semihuman. He gave Mars a history, several phases of civilization and an assortment of religions. He added dauntless heros, beautiful maidens, evil villains and fearful monsters--all the ingredients necessary for a series of thrilling adventures on any world! Featuring over two dozen illustrations, including maps of the North and South Poles of Barsoom, as well as of the planet's Western and Eastern Hemispheres --AND IT'S ALL HERE IN THE ONLY OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BARSOOM Fully comprehensive, it is a masterpiece work by noted Barsoom scholar John Flint Roy, and illustrated by the esteemed Barsoom artist Neal MacDonald, including a Neal MacDonald cover. Print copies are extremely rare and expensive so we at ReAnimus Press are delighted that we can bring it back as an ebook. "We used it as our bible." --Andrew Stanton (Director of Disney's "John Carter" movie, LA Times) Contents: Introduction to the 2012 edition by Mike Resnick Introduction I -- A Brief History of Pre-Carter Barsoom II -- A Geography of Barsoom, Including a Gazetteer-Index and Hemispheric and Polar Maps of Its Surface III -- A Biography of Barsoom, Including a Dictionary of People, Past and Present, Whose Names Appear in the Barsoomian Sagas IV -- The Flora and Fauna of Barsoom, Including a Dictionary of Barsoomian Plants and Animals V Measurements -- on Barsoom--Linear, Time, Monetary--and a List of Barsoomian Numbers VI -- The Language, Religions, and Customs of Barsoom VII -- A General Barsoomian Glossary: Terms, Titles, Organizations, Games, Weapons, Buildings, Streets, Etc. VIII -- Quotations, Proverbs, and Expletives--From the Rich Heritage of Barsoom and the Pen of John Carter IX -- Barsoomian Science and Invention X Through -- Space to Barsoom? XI -- "Edgar Rice Burroughs": A Brief Biographical Sketch Acknowledgments and Sources From the Author Illustrations The Avenue of Quays in Aaanthor (frontispiece) Plant Men The Atmosphere Plant The Zitidar (above) and the Thoat (below) Maps of the North and South Poles of Barsoom, as well as of the planet's Western and Eastern Hemispheres A Green Man The Game of Yano A Calot (Barsoomian Watchdog) and His Red Man Master An Orovar Helmet A Jetan Piece: Thoat A Jetan Piece: Warrior, or Than The Banth, or Barsoomian Lion Man-Flowers Artists Conception of the Barsoomian Table of Linear Measurement Two Barsoomian Watches and a Barsoomian Clock A Sith and Its Unidentified Victim A White Ape The Palace of Peace in Ptarth A Torch of Horz The Pit of Plenty in Kadabra The Ulsio, Martian Rat A Calot Tree An Apt vs. a Red Man A Conventional Ground Flier A Flier of Okar and Panar The Pedestal of Truth in the Temple of Reward of Greater Helium Don't get stuck in the Valley of Lost Souls -- Learn your way around Barsoom today! [Disclaimer: Ye Olde Critter Captain also runs ReAnimus Press, sales from which help him keep Critters going as a free site.] -+- Thanks for the donations, folks! We are 8.1% of the way to the fund drive goal with contributions from 17 donors, leaving about $6400 to go. (No donations this past week, sad minion face.) :[ [See http://www.critters.org/donate.php for more information.] -+- (No Woohoo!s this week, be sure to report your sales/publications/etc. via the www.critters.org/telldaworld.ht web page.) -+- This week's Most Productive Critter award, for 4 critiques (at time of judging), averaging over 700 words each, goes to... Christopher Corbell To redeem an MPC, visit: www.critters.org/usempc.ht Congratulations! To everyone else -- Crit early and often! (For an explanation of the MPC award, see the www.critters.org/award.ht page.) -+- Recommended Reading... One of the best writing books - Secrets from the 6-time Best Editor Hugo Award Master, Ben Bova: THE CRAFT OF WRITING SCIENCE FICTION THAT SELLS https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1144 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Critters Workshop ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This week we have... [get from https://www.critters.org/private/mss.php ]... Title Author --------------------------------------------------------------------- Week of 5-Feb-2025 (Crits due 12-Feb-2025): F Evangeline, Chapter 4 [mpc] Brian Sellnow -#31727 SF Flukes - Ch 1-4 [mpc] Patrick Tibbits -#31728 F The Anvil [mpc] Stephen Shewmake -#31729 SF Love Thy Neighbor Natassia Dudack -#31730 H The Messiah of Lake County Chapter 1 Dawson M Hollingsworth -#31731 SF Home Delivery Rebecca Fletcher -#31732 SF Gorlon Matthew Corradi -#31733 H Hazel's Haunted House Adventure Chapter 4 Adam Zehnbauer -#31734 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Recommended books on writing: THE CRAFT OF WRITING AND SELLING SCIENCE FICTION by Ben Bova ReAnimus Press Store: https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1144 Amazon: https://Amazon.com/dp/B006MAZPEI HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SPECULATIVE FICTION OPENINGS By (Critter member) Robert Qualkinbush https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1184 | https://Amazon.com/dp/B007O272ZI STAYIN' ALIVE - A WRITER'S GUIDE by three-time SFWA President Norman Spinrad How things really work in the art and commerce of publishing https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1179 | https://Amazon.com/dp/B007SIC4I8 EXPERIMENT PERILOUS: THE 'BUG JACK BARRON' PAPERS by Norman Spinrad (A 99cent essay on SF and writing) https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1180 | https://Amazon.com/dp/B007MF3MS8 Because you might enjoy it... UNDERHANDED CHESS by JERRY SOHL A hilarious handbook of devious diversions and stratagems for winning at chess https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1244 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pieces up for critique in other workshops... In the lit workshop - https://critique.org/lit : L The Great Divide Ethan Cunningham -#31654 In the mystery workshop - https://critique.org/mystery : M The Library Club chapters 1, 2 Don Oestreicher -#31726 In the nonfiction workshop - https://critique.org/nonfiction : NP I *Experience*, Therefore I Am Robin niCathain -#30061 In the script workshop - https://critique.org/script : SC It Happened One Christmas Robert W. Ross -#31694 In the kids workshop - https://critique.org/kids : YS The Adventures of Jack, The Rabbit Emmanuel Agyei-Boatey -#31578 In the comics workshop - https://critique.org/comics : CG Magna. logline/ synopsis Brent Claridge -#28885 In the western workshop - https://critique.org/western : W Currently Untitled Aleksandr Vincente Hoang -#30472 In the video workshop - https://critique.org/video : VS The Gallery of Henri Beauchamp Jay DeTalente -#21424 In the music workshop - https://critique.org/music : MP The Shade Riders and Nocturnal Ned song Beth Zurkowski -#21675 In the photo workshop - https://critique.org/photo : PH Tea and Gossip Sandy Kulhavy -#30875 In the art workshop - https://critique.org/art : AH Peppermint Girls Brian Sellnow -#31527 In the website workshop - https://critique.org/website : WW Franklin's Palindromedary Ray N. Franklin -#29498 In the critters workshop - https://critique.org/critters : F Evangeline, Chapter 4 [mpc] Brian Sellnow -#31727 SF Flukes - Ch 1-4 [mpc] Patrick Tibbits -#31728 F The Anvil [mpc] Stephen Shewmake -#31729 SF Love Thy Neighbor Natassia Dudack -#31730 H The Messiah of Lake County Chapter 1 Dawson M Hollingsworth -#31731 SF Home Delivery Rebecca Fletcher -#31732 SF Gorlon Matthew Corradi -#31733 H Hazel's Haunted House Adventure Chapter 4 Adam Zehnbauer -#31734 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You might also like... THE JOY MAKERS by JAMES GUNN Earth is in love with pleasure-seeking, or is it enslaved? https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1637 Standard notes: HELP: If you need help with anything, see https://www.critters.org/help -- there are FAQs and a form to ask questions. HELPING CRITTERS: Critters is donation funded & volunteer run, so if you'd like to help out with our current fund drive or otherwise, please visit https://www.critters.org/donate.php -- Thanks!! HOW TO SEND CRITIQUES: Remember to send the critiques directly to me, critters@critique.org, so I can forward them to the authors _and_ give you credit for your effort. Please send only one critique per mail message (makes it easier to archive). Please make sure the "#" symbol and manuscript number are in the email Subject: line, like Subject: #1234. (Conversely, if you want ol' Aburt to personally read the message, i.e., it's _not_ a critique, don't put a "#" in the subject or I won't see it. Also -- put my current anti-spam code word in there: see https://www.critters.org/antispam.ht .) You may also send your critiques via https://www.critters.org/webcrit.ht . Note that all critiques will be available to everyone to read the next Saturday. DIPLOMACY: Remember, authors and critiquers, we're all friends here. Be polite. Be considerate. Be tactful. You can say you thought a story was drivel in a courteous way. Try to point out the good and the bad; offer alternatives if you can. Never, ever, attack the author -- only the story. Authors: Remember that some reviewers may lack tact. Try to be understanding, but if you get any that you feel are just plain mean-spirited, too short to be of any use, or too "feel good," let me know and I'll withhold the reviewer's "credit" for that story and/or cajole them into something more insightful. See https://www.critters.org/diplomacy.ht for more... CRITIQUE LENGTH: If you want to send a short critique that you know is too short for credit (200 words or less of your own meaningful content) please put "NC#" in the Subject (NC=No Credit, like Subject: NC#1234) -and- say something like "not for credit" inside your critique. (Remember also that for MPC purposes, a critique must be 300 words or more.) CHATTING: Comments -other- than critiques (such as discussion of the critiques, or Woohoo! announcements, or chit chat) should be posted to one of the official Critters discussion forums (See the https://www.critters.org/newsgroups.ht web page for full info, guidelines, etc.) Don't post stories or critiques (mail those to critters@critique.org). QUOTING: Please pare the ms. down if critiquing in-line (don't quote the whole ms.!). Other format rules are at https://www.critters.org/format.ht . EVERYTHING'S ON THE WEB: Past reviews are on the web page. The current week's manuscripts are also there, as are prior mss. and even some rewrites. There's a Master Page Index (site map) with tons of links to common items. AUTHORS: Authors for this week -- if you aren't getting email'd critiques from me (as they come in) within a couple days -- ask me and we can verify I'm sending them to the correct address. (Send me a phone# in case I can't get email to you.) Check the format of your story ASAP to make sure it's all there and readable. EMAIL ISSUES: If you want to change your email address or preferences (# mss. emailed, SF/F/H type, or whether you get the huge critique batches at week's end), point your browser to https://www.critters.org/admin.ht . Please don't ask me to do this by hand, it's quite a chore! (E.g., if you're going on vacation and want to suspend mail from me -- do this before/after your trip.) BACKUP SITE: If you're unable to reach www.critters.org to get manuscripts, I've set up an emergency backup site at https://backup.critters.org where you can get the week's manuscripts (but not much of anything else :-). Speaking of backups -- don't forget to back up your own manuscripts so you don't lose them! QUITTING: If you want to quit or go inactive, drop by https://www.critters.org/admin.ht . DONATIONS: Critters is funded by donations, so visit https://www.critters.org/donate.php if you'd like to help out. Because you might enjoy it... THE SIGIL TRILOGY (OMNIBUS VOL.1-3) by HENRY GEE 'Great stuff... everything you yearn to find in a very good contemporary SF novel. Really enjoyed it!' - SFWA Grandmaster Michael Moorcock https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1260 -- You received this email message because you signed up for the Critters Writers Workshop. If you want to stop getting these emails, please visit https://www.critters.org/email.ht .