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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)
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.
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 11-Sep-2024... It's almost election time! (In the US) Be sure you're registered to vote! (or still are) Visit https://www.usa.gov/confirm-voter-registration and follow the links. If you want to keep in touch with what's going on with the election, here are my two favorite sites: https://electoral-vote.com/ (A Critters-like fully free site, founded by a fellow computer science professor, who wrote the textbooks I taught from) https://politicalwire.com/ (Also a free site, though he does offer a small number of pay articles to help fund the site) -+- Supporting the Critters Fund Drive, check out some hard SF... FOOLS' EXPERIMENTS by Edward M. Lerner - $7.99 ReAnimus Press Store: www.ReAnimus.com/1742 Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0D93291VF/?tag=critters3a-20 (available in ebook + hardcover + paperback) We are not alone, and it's our own damn fault.... Something demonic is stalking the brightest men and women in the computer industry. It attacks without warning or mercy, leaving its prey insane or comatose--or dead. The mayhem is especially calamitous just now. Something far nastier than any virus, worm, or Trojan horse program is being evolved in laboratory confinement by well-intentioned but misguided researchers. When their artificial life-form escapes onto the Internet, no conventional defense against malicious software can begin to compete. As disasters multiply, computer scientist Doug Carey knows that unconventional measures may be civilization's last hope. And that any artificial life-form learns very fast.... "FOOLS' EXPERIMENTS is science fiction at its dazzling best, and one hell of a technothriller." --Stephen Coonts, New York Times best-selling author of The Assassin "Viruses and worms have come to be an important `feature' of our network landscape. And yet this is just the beginning. In FOOLS' EXPERIMENTS, Edward M. Lerner gives us a fascinating view on how awesome these threats could soon become." --Vernor Vinge, Hugo award-winning author of Rainbow's End "The age of spiritual machines is almost upon us, and Edward M. Lerner is our advance scout. He's already been where the rest of us will soon be heading and gives us fascinating, compelling, exciting glimpses of what lies ahead. A terrific book by a terrific author." --Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Rollback [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! Thanks especially to Vincent Bonasso Larry Hodges for their recent donations to help keep Critters going. Much appreciated! [See https://www.critters.org/donate.php for more information.] -+- Woohoo! Congratulations to... - Jamie M. Boyd, whose (Critter'd) short story, "The Architecture of Longing " is now out in the current issue of Heartlines Spec . {Thanks to everyone who critiqued this story. You can read it now at www.heartlines-spec.com/the-architecture-of-longing-by-jamie-m-boyd/} Please report your Woohoo!s 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 800 words each, goes to... Brian Sellnow 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 11-Sep-2024 (Crits due 18-Sep-2024): F Cal and the Mind-Mage Robert Harpold -#31558 SF Mark of the Predator, Chapter 22 Brian Sellnow -#31559 SF The Aztec Gods - A Snapshot Novella - Part 2 Dsle Cozort -#31560 SF Remy's Last Heist F.B. Hughes -#31561 SF The Godmaker, ch 2 Steve Palmer -#31562 SF Aleena Part 1 Robert Philbrook -#31563 F Waterproof Sandra Edwards-Thro -#31564 F School of Will, Chapters 1-5 Mya_G -#31565 F Cordelia Ran, Prologue and Ch. 1-3 Leilani Potgieter -#31566 F Upon a Time, Prologue, Ch 1-3 Sean R Prater -#31567 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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... THE NEW SPRINGTIME by ROBERT SILVERBERG Humans emerge to reclaim Earth after the Long Winter, but never anticipated what awaits... https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1616 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pieces up for critique in other workshops... In the lit workshop - https://critique.org/lit : L My Little Dreaming Girl Silvana Milenova -#31541 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 Cupidity Kathleen C -#31276 In the kids workshop - https://critique.org/kids : YS The Adventures of Sam and Jaeger Sandra Tregaskis -#31547 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 Freyr Chapter 1 Jetaun Frazier -#31548 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 Cal and the Mind-Mage Robert Harpold -#31558 SF Mark of the Predator, Chapter 22 Brian Sellnow -#31559 SF The Aztec Gods - A Snapshot Novella - Part 2 Dsle Cozort -#31560 SF Remy's Last Heist F.B. Hughes -#31561 SF The Godmaker, ch 2 Steve Palmer -#31562 SF Aleena Part 1 Robert Philbrook -#31563 F Waterproof Sandra Edwards-Thro -#31564 F School of Will, Chapters 1-5 Mya_G -#31565 F Cordelia Ran, Prologue and Ch. 1-3 Leilani Potgieter -#31566 F Upon a Time, Prologue, Ch 1-3 Sean R Prater -#31567 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You might also like... FORWARD IN TIME by BEN BOVA https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1330 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 ALTERED EGO by JERRY SOHL Why would anyone murder a man marked for full body and brain restoration? https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1360 -- 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 .