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Ahoy, Critterfolk!
New entry May 06
Critter Notices
Critters is 25!
Last November, Critters turned 25 years old! Wow! Thanks so much to all of you, who've made it such a resounding success!
Books from Critters!
Check out Books by Critters for books by your fellow
Critterfolk, as well as my list of recommended books for writers.
The Sigil Trilogy
If you're looking for an amazing, WOW! science fiction story, check out THE SIGIL TRILOGY. This is — literally — one of the best science fiction novels I've ever read.New Book from a Critter Member
**NOW IN
PRINT EDITION
TOO!** Awesome new book,
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SPECULATIVE FICTION OPENINGS,
from a Critter member who's unearthed a shard of The Secret
to becoming a pro writer. Really good piece of work.
"...if you're at all concerned about story openings, you'd be nuts not to read what Qualkinbush has to say." —Wil McCarthy, author of BLOOM and THE COLLAPSIUM
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]
~~~
FEATURED BOOK
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Weekly Notes
Notes for 22-Mar-2023...
This week's helper for the Critters Fund Drive is...
IF ALL ELSE FAILS by Craig Strete - $2.99
ReAnimus Press Store: www.ReAnimus.com/1487
Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZ1AV0V/?tag=critters3a-20
(available in ebook + paperback)
With an Introduction by Jorge Luis Borges.
Craig Strete, one of the few Native American SF authors, picked up three Nebula Award nominations for short SF, two of which are included in this collection of his excellent work.
"The pages reek with despair at the loss of Native American culture .... The narrator of the "All My Statues" is reminded of his "grandfather who died humming all the songs he had kept silent because there was no one left to sing them" (11). In "To See the City" the dead try to escape the concrete prisons of the cities that desecrate the holy places: "Buried animal and ground people were trying to reach out through the cracks in sidewalks. The ground people moved restlessly under the concrete" (36). The television, an embodiment of the white man's control of mass culture, declares the Native American is a figment of the past, not of the present: "We make decisions for you. Take you hand of the silver screen. You are interfering with the projectionist. Yes, we listen, we tell you, you are a book, and having been written, you cannot cancel a line of it" (46).
"Filled with gorgeous lines, evocative images..."
--Science Fiction Ruminations
[Disclaimer: Ye Olde Critter Captain also runs ReAnimus Press, sales from which help him keep Critters going as a free site.]
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Thanks for the donations, folks! We are 52.4% of the way to the fund drive goal with contributions from 67 donors, leaving about $2400 to go.
Thanks especially to
Rachel Messinger
Michael Bristol
Lucia Dolan
Philip Lindeman
for their recent donations to help keep Critters going. Much appreciated!
[See https://www.critters.org/donate.php for more information.]
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Woohoo! Congratulations to...
- Jamie M. Boyd, who sold her (Critter'd) short story, "Wicket
2.0" to Mysterion . {Thanks to all who offered feedback and made
this story better! }
- Ron Fein, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, " Excerpts from
After-Action Interviews Regarding the Incident at Penn Station"
to Nature: Futures. {Thanks to all those who critiqued it! I made
a number of changes based on the critiques (including the title)
and it was accepted by the exact market that I envisioned from
the outset. It will appear in April or May.}
- Ron Fein, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, " Excerpts from
After-Action Interviews Regarding the Incident at Penn Station"
to Nature: Futures. {Thanks to all those who critiqued it! I made
a number of changes based on the critiques (including the title)
and it was accepted by the exact market that I envisioned from
the outset. It will appear in April or May.}
- Ron Fein, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, " Excerpts from
After-Action Interviews Regarding the Incident at Penn Station"
to Nature: Futures. {Thanks to all those who critiqued it! I made
a number of changes based on the critiques (including the title)
and it was accepted by the exact market that I envisioned from
the outset. It will appear in April or May.}
- Ron Fein, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, " Excerpts from
After-Action Interviews Regarding the Incident at Penn Station"
to Nature: Futures. {Thanks to all those who critiqued it! I made
a number of changes based on the critiques (including the title)
and it was accepted by the exact market that I envisioned from
the outset. It will appear in April or May.}
- Ron Fein, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, " Excerpts from
After-Action Interviews Regarding the Incident at Penn Station"
to Nature: Futures. {Thanks to all those who critiqued it! I made
a number of changes based on the critiques (including the title)
and it was accepted by the exact market that I envisioned from
the outset. It will appear in April or May.}
- Douglas Kolacki, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Not
from Saturn" to Allegory.
- Ron Fein, whose (Critter'd) short story, "A Daronite Fence" is
now out in the current issue of Tales of Fear, Superstition, and
Doom anthology (Redwood Press). {Thanks to all that critiqued it!}
- Michael Stevens, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Electric
Memories Don't Fade in the Evening Sun" to HyphenPunk. {Thanks
to everyone who helped this story to come to life. It was the
very first story I submitted to Critters so I'm delighted it
has finally found a home.}
Please report your Woohoo!s via the www.critters.org/telldaworld.ht web page.
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This week's Most Productive Critter award, for 11 critiques (at time
of judging), averaging over 500 words each, goes to...
Ron Fein
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.)
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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
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Critters Workshop
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This week we have... [get from https://www.critters.org/private/mss.php ]...
Title Author
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SF Song of the Kantari, Chapter 27 [mpc] Brian Sellnow
SF Appendixes Assemble [@] Larry Hodges
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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... OF WORLDS BEYOND by LLOYD ARTHUR ESHBACH, ED.
Heinlein, Campbell, 'Doc' Smith, Williamson, de Camp, van Vogt, & Taine offer some of the best explanations ever on how to write SF.
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1462
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Pieces up for critique in other workshops...
In the lit workshop - https://critique.org/lit :
L A C L Jose Casillas -#30811
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 Should I Stay Ellis Clay -#30600
In the kids workshop - https://critique.org/kids :
YA A Tale of Kinderhaus, Chapter 1 Doug Stang -#30946
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 romance workshop - https://critique.org/romance :
R Faith, Love, and Obsession Chapters 8-9 Angie Mitchell -#30730
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 Art Man, a portrait Robert J Cleary -#27847
In the website workshop - https://critique.org/website :
WW Franklin's Palindromedary Ray N. Franklin -#29498
In the critters workshop - https://critique.org/critters :
SF Song of the Kantari, Chapter 27 [mpc] Brian Sellnow
SF Appendixes Assemble [@] Larry Hodges
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You might also like... THE MAMMOTH PROJECT by CRAIG STRETE AND TERRY IZUMI
Young Nina and Keita have to save a herd of... Mammoths?! and a tribe of Native Americans and a... Cyber Mammoth?!
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1632
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... CREATING SHORT FICTION by DAMON KNIGHT
The classic guide to writing short fiction - Revised & Expanded 3rd ed.
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1548
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