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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.
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
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 08-Oct-2025...
Also, benefitting the Fund Drive, are purchases of ReAnimus Press books, such as...
EVERLAND AND OTHER STORIES by Paul Witcover - $5.99
ReAnimus Press Store: www.ReAnimus.com/1757
Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FV3R1L2W/?tag=critters3a-20
(available in ebook + hardcover + paperback)
In the quarter century since the publication of his first short story, "Red Shift," Paul Witcover has slowly but steadily produced an impressive body of short fiction along with his critically acclaimed novels, Waking Beauty, Tumbling After, and Dracula: Asylum. Fusing elements of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and fairy tales, Witcover's work inhabits the borderlands of genre. Everland collects twelve of his best stories, seven previously published, including the Nebula Award finalist "Left of the Dial," and five appearing here for the first time, including the title story, which does not so much reimagine as reinvent J. M. Barrie's classic tale of a boy who never grew up.
In "Mayaland," a callow young man with a romantic attachment to a bloody past learns that there is a price to pay for ignorance... and for understanding.
Fundamentalism meets fascism in "Twilight of the Dogs," a horror story that is also a ghost story that morphs into a science fiction story and then...
In "Lighthouse Summer," a young boy has the adventure of several lifetimes when a summer storm washes an eccentric traveler ashore...
A lost marble that is more than it seems catapults a timid legal proofreader into a war between gods and demons in "Where Balloons Go."
Ranging from present day New York to Central America, from Revolutionary France to a near-future United States convulsed by civil war, the twelve stories in Everland are both topical and timeless, showcasing Witcover's affinity for the strange that lurks within--or alongside--the familiar.
Featuring an introduction by award-winning author Elizabeth Hand, with whom Witcover created and wrote the ground-breaking DC Comic Anima.
"What unites the disparate stories is a moody, elegiac prose style and an uncanny ability to communicate the intricate workings of the human heart and mind. These attributes come together in the volume's finest story, the Nebula award finalist 'Left of the Dial,' a haunting time-travel-cum-ghost-story about a bereaved man's quest to lay the ghosts and the guilt of his past."
--The Guardian
[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 50.4% of the way to the fund drive goal with contributions from 120 donors, leaving about $3500 to go.
Thanks especially to
Brian Sellnow
Sean Masters
Garry Garrett
Vincent Bonasso
for their recent donations to help keep Critters going. Much appreciated!
Stats by month...
Jan: $564.88 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $18.12 for the month
Feb: $206.50 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $376.5 for the month
Mar: $320.92 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $262.08 for the month
Apr: $142.18 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $440.82 for the month
May: $839.87 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, exceeded by $256.87 for the month
Jun: $606.85 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, exceeded by $23.85 for the month
Jul: $181.72 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $401.28 for the month
Aug: $162.91 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $420.09 for the month
Sep: $325.75 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $257.25 for the month
Oct: $173.69 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $409.31 for the month
=> short by $2304.73 of annual fund drive goal to date
[See https://www.critters.org/donate.php for more information.]
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(No Woohoo!s this week, be sure to report your sales/publications/etc. via the www.critters.org/telldaworld.ht web page.)
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This week's Most Productive Critter award, for 4 critiques (at time of judging), averaging almost 900 words each, goes to...
Michele Wilson
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
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Week of 8-Oct-2025 (Crits due 15-Oct-2025):
F Singer of the Vale Ryan Twombly -#31967
H Taste My Suffering Chapter 1 First Draft Stephanie J Ryan -#31968
SF The Graduates of Formost 891c F.B. Hughes -#31969
F Ghost Warrior Part 3 Joel Stanley -#31970
F Still Waters Victoria Ibanez -#31971
SF Smyrna's Renegade Jason Novsam -#31972
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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... XPERTS: THE PARAWARRIORS by HERMANN MAURER
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1557
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Pieces up for critique in other workshops...
In the lit workshop - https://critique.org/lit :
L The Schoolhouse Duaa -#31887
In the mystery workshop - https://critique.org/mystery :
M The Library Club chapters 1, 2 Don Oestreicher -#31726
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 western workshop - https://critique.org/western :
W Currently Untitled Aleksandr Vincente Hoang -#30472
In the romance workshop - https://critique.org/romance :
R Embermarked, Chapter 10-12 Natalie Kalinowski -#31927
In the apps workshop - https://critique.org/apps :
GM Uptown Valkyries Arthur Sankey -#31757
In the website workshop - https://critique.org/website :
WW Charles Gull creative projects blog and website Charles Gull -#31783
In the critters workshop - https://critique.org/critters :
F Singer of the Vale Ryan Twombly -#31967
H Taste My Suffering Chapter 1 First Draft Stephanie J Ryan -#31968
SF The Graduates of Formost 891c F.B. Hughes -#31969
F Ghost Warrior Part 3 Joel Stanley -#31970
F Still Waters Victoria Ibanez -#31971
SF Smyrna's Renegade Jason Novsam -#31972
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You might also like... THE ANOMALY by JERRY SOHL
She wanted a baby...but what did she get? By the Star Trek master writer
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1171
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... NO MIND OF MAN by ROBERT SILVERBERG, TERRY CARR, RICHARD A. LUPOFF
Three stories that break the barriers of time and space and mind.
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1736
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