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Critters is 30!
Last November, Critters turned 30 years old! Wow! Thanks so much to all of you, who've made it such a resounding success!
FEATURED BOOK
Weekly Notes
Notes for 11-Nov-2026...
Helping the Critters Fund Drive this week...
TIMESHARE: A TIME FOR WAR by Joshua Dann - $3.99
ReAnimus Press Store: www.ReAnimus.com/1519
Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B01FNJ5AR0/?tag=critters3a-20
(available in ebook + paperback)
Have you ever wished you could go back to the good old days?
John Surrey can. He's head of security for Timeshare Unlimited -- a very special travel agency where you can arrange an extended voyage to the past, no pasport required. For the paying customers, it's the ultimate vacation. But for John Surrey, it can be a very dangerous adventure...
A TIME FOR WAR
John Surrey saved the love of his life, 1940s film star Althea Rowland, from certain death by whisking her to Los Angeles, 2027. But Althea can't bear to abandon her native England during World War II. And John is willing to accept the consequences -- if his knowledge can save more lives along the way...
Using Timeshare's Temporal Transference Unit, John and Althea take a highly illegal trip back to London during the Blitz. Sneaking his way into battle, John risks his life -- and the future -- while learning two things: straddling the present and past is no vacation... and war is hell...
PRAISE FOR TIMESHARE...
"A lot of fun." --Locus
"Engaging from the first page" --Mysterious Galaxy
"A clever concept...well crafted...highly enjoyable" --Starlog
[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 42.6% of the way to the fund drive goal with contributions from 112 donors, leaving about $4000 to go.
(No donations this past week, sad minion face.) :[
[See http://www.critters.org/donate.php for more information.]
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Woohoo! Congratulations to...
- Robert Harpold, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "The
Outcast and the Comet" to Analog Science Fiction and Fact. {Thank
you to everyone who critiqued this story! It was a huge help!}
- Pete Koziar, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Lucky Pig"
to Luminous Realms.
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 4 critiques (at time of judging), averaging almost 600 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.)
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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 11-Nov-2026 (Crits due 18-Nov-2026):
SF Under the Moon Richard Zwicker -#32422
H Beware the Naughty List Lawrence Vernon -#32423
F It's Not Love Dallas Nicholls -#32424
SF The Palace of Night Jon Rosenthal -#32425
F Trophy Russ Gartz -#32426
F The Uses of Stonebinding Yri Hansen -#32427
SF Core Self Andrew M. Smith -#32428
F Elsie and the Boy Richard J. Rodricks -#32429
SF Infinity Departure Lounge Colm Prunty -#32430
SF The Octopus Strike Aaron Barnett -#32431
SF Dust Bunnies Mark Underwood -#32432
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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... 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
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Pieces up for critique in other workshops...
In the lit workshop - https://critique.org/lit :
L The Sovereign Variable, Chapter 1 Eric Hughes -#32317
In the mystery workshop - https://critique.org/mystery :
M The Stop Sign Sarah Rowin -#32341
In the nonfiction workshop - https://critique.org/nonfiction :
NH The Men Who Stole the Dead: How Body Snatchers Helped Build Modern Medicine Jamie Cares -#32307
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 Good Land for Dying Kristen Vanderhoof -#32003
In the romance workshop - https://critique.org/romance :
R You Were You - Chapter 1 Kayleigh Martin -#32399
In the photo workshop - https://critique.org/photo :
PH A Building By Kanda River Nattamon Montriwat -#32096
In the apps workshop - https://critique.org/apps :
GM Uptown Valkyries Arthur Sankey -#31757
In the website workshop - https://critique.org/website :
WW Lawrence Vernon's Website Lawrence Vernon -#32200
In the critters workshop - https://critique.org/critters :
SF Under the Moon Richard Zwicker -#32422
H Beware the Naughty List Lawrence Vernon -#32423
F It's Not Love Dallas Nicholls -#32424
SF The Palace of Night Jon Rosenthal -#32425
F Trophy Russ Gartz -#32426
F The Uses of Stonebinding Yri Hansen -#32427
SF Core Self Andrew M. Smith -#32428
F Elsie and the Boy Richard J. Rodricks -#32429
SF Infinity Departure Lounge Colm Prunty -#32430
SF The Octopus Strike Aaron Barnett -#32431
SF Dust Bunnies Mark Underwood -#32432
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You might also like... THE EXILES TRILOGY by BEN BOVA
The best scientists on Earth are exiled to a space station... but they have other plans
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1122
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... WORLD-BUILDING by STEPHEN L. GILLETT
The blueprint for SF writers to create amazing, realistic fictional worlds.
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1482
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