Blog
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.
Stayin' Alive
If you want to make a career of SF writing, STAYING ALIVE - A WRITER'S GUIDE by three-time SFWA President Norman Spinrad, published by your Critter Captain's ReAnimus Press, is an indispensable guide to the inside workings of the SF publishing industry by an expert.
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]
~~~
FEATURED BOOK
~~~
Woo-hoo!
My unscientific estimate is that members of Critters are around 10X more likely to make sales than non-critters (but cause and effect? who knows?). Regardless, this page is to celebrate our successes!
Critter Robert Qualkinbush has analyzed the reports below and created a summary page of how many sales Critters have had. Fascinating, and astounding! Good going to you all.
If you have something to report, tell me immediately!
Free ads on the Critters site are also provided as a benefit of membership.
Congratulations to...
| Douglas Kolacki, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Pull Her Out of Hiroshima" to High Tower Magazine. [Sep 2024] |
| 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/ } [Sep 2024] |
| Jason Gale, whose novel, "Volywr's Reign" is now out from Amazon Direct Publishing. [Sep 2024] |
| Renan Bernardo, whose short story, "A Theory of Missing Affections" is now out in the current issue of Clarkesworld Magazine. [Sep 2024] |
| Dwayne Minton, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Red and Hank vs. the Zombie Acowpolypse" to Humour Me Magazine. {Thank you to everyone who critiqued this one. Your feedback made this a better story. } [Aug 2024] |
| Jamie M. Boyd, whose (Critter'd) short story, "The Wilding Year" is now out in the current issue of Strange Horizons . {Many thanks to all who critiqued my weird fantasy story and helped get it to its final version. It's available now to read at strangehorizons.com/fiction/the-wilding-year/ } [Aug 2024] |
| Richard Zwicker, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "The Changed Man" to After Dinner Conversation. [Aug 2024] |
| Jeff Naylor, who has won the Silver Honorable Mention for the Writers of the Future Contest (3rd quarter 2024) award for his (Critter'd) short story, "No Solomon Here". {(Not sure if this achievement means much as there are a lot of names on the S.H.M. list, but I did want to express gratitude to my fellow Critters whose constructive feedback and suggestions helped me understand several elements that needed significant revision) } [Aug 2024] |
| Brian Sellnow, who sold (Critter'd) short story, "An Ill-Fated Ride" to Dark Horses Magazine. {Thanks for the feedback from fellow Critters! } [Jul 2024] |
| Renan Bernardo, who reports "My novelette "A Short Biography of a Conscious Chair" is a 2024 Ignyte Award Finalist!". {My Nebula-nominated novelette is now also a Ignyte finalist among so many wonderful works! Voting is open until August 31st for all categories. https://ignyteawards.fiyahlitmag.com/vote/ } [Jul 2024] |
| Dale Cozort, whose short story, "The First" is now out in the current issue of Fantastic Schools Anthology (volume 8). [Jul 2024] |
| Stephen W. Chappell, whose (Critter'd) short story, "A Random Act of Kindness" is now out in the current issue of Dark Horses Magazine, Issue #30. [Jul 2024] |
| Douglas Kolacki, whose (Critter'd) short story, "Royal Fortune is a Go" is now out in the current issue of Amazing Stories. {Thanks again to everyone who helped make my hard SF/first space pirates story into a reality! } [Jul 2024] |
| Sandra Skalski, who sold her (Critter'd) short story, "A Squirrel in Time" to Ruth and Ann's Guide to Time Travel anthology. [Jun 2024] |
| Christian L. Campbell, whose (Critter'd) novel, "Far-Flung and Home" is now out from The Captive Cookie Experiment on YouTube. {I have just finished self-publishing my novel “Far-Flung and Home” in a most unusual way. The novel appears in 32 videos on my channel “The Captive Cookie Experiment” on YouTube and Rumble. Each video is one chapter. While I read the story, I also present original fine-art photography and digital art (none of it is AI). Consider this an experiment in evolutionary consumerism. Comments are open on both channels. YouTube link: https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR74NJM08gWaCbZgUdVCA6_us9LDmk3pB Rumble link: The Captive Cookie Experiment (rumble.com) } [Jun 2024] |
| Renan Bernardo, who sold his short story, "The Hungry Mouth at the Edge of Space and the Goddess Knitting at Home" to Reactor/Tor.com. [Jun 2024] |
| Renan Bernardo, who sold his short story, "A Short Biography of a Conscious Chair" to Podcastle. {My Nebula-nominated short story will be reprinted and narrated at Podcastle! } [Jun 2024] |
| Russell Weisfield, whose (Critter'd) short story, "The Sphinx's Search for a Riddle" is now out in the current issue of In Another Time Magazine Issue 2: Pressure. [Jun 2024] |
| Dwayne Minton, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Footprints in the Forest" to Cryptids from the Rock Anthology. {Thank you to everyone who commented on this bigfoot story. So happy it found a home with the wonderful folks at Engen Books. } [May 2024] |
| Robert Harpold, whose (Critter'd) novel, "When the Gods Are Away" is now out from Dark Matter INK. {This novel was crittered several years back and finally found a home! It officially comes out May 7, but pre-orders are already shipping. When the Gods Are Away: It is Blasphemer’s Week, an annual period during which the gods vacation at Mount Olympus and ignore the inconsequential mortals, and it always begins with blood. The first victim is a former police officer getting butter from his fridge. Virgil Glezos, the city-state’s first detective on his first case, must track the killer by inventing his own techniques combining magic and technology. He is aided by a professional dance choreographer, a biowarfare expert who doesn’t want to be there, two police officers who hate him, and a priest who might or might not be incompetent and who might or might not be trying to kill him. Virgil uncovers something deeper than a single murder, and he is the wrong person at the right time to stop it. } [Apr 2024] |
| Chris Hepler, whose (Critter'd) short story, "High Water Mark" is now out in the current issue of the anthology "Paladins of Valor" by Chris Kennedy Press. {A big thanks to all who critiqued it, including Charles Botsford, Tim Nall, John Edlund, Brian Sellnow, and all friends and family! } [Apr 2024] |
| Dwayne Minton, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Intermezzo" to The Last Ditch Anthology. [Apr 2024] |
| Becky Neher, whose (Critter'd) short story, "Filter" is now out in the current issue of Corner Bar Magazine. [Apr 2024] |
| Janice Clark, who reports "I'm the featured author in the April edition of Writers Monthly". {https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:4b7231fe-87ef-4a99-a704-5fd53b6cb6b9?fbclid=IwAR2Jh2wxtEV_ihxtmiJBeAY4_0Hlg6GU8-qe_Et6dTR_UZgySjSZq9Iw6IQ } [Mar 2024] |
| Russell Weisfield, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "The Sphinx's Search for a Riddle" to In Another Time. [Mar 2024] |
| Andrew Giffin, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "The Sight of Distant Shores" to Anvil. {Thanks for all who gave feedback! } [Mar 2024] |
| Renan Bernardo, whose short story, "The Offer of Peace Between Two Worlds" is now out in the current issue of Diabolical Plots (#109B). [Mar 2024] |
| Renan Bernardo, who reports "I am a Nebula Finalist for Best Novelette". {My novelette "A Short Biograpghy of a Conscious Chair" is a Nebula Finalist for Best Novelette. Final voting is open for SFWA members until April 15th. } [Mar 2024] |
| Richard Zwicker, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "It Starts with Flies" to Black Hare Press Patreon Monthly Challenge. [Mar 2024] |
| Douglas Kolacki, whose (Critter'd) short story, "Last Confession of a Luftwaffe Ace" is now out in the current issue of ParaBNormal magazine. [Mar 2024] |
| Douglas Kolacki, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Berlin Bunker 1 / Bring Me His Head" to Dark Horses magazine. [Feb 2024] |
| Becky Neher, whose (Critter'd) short story, "The Break" is now out in the current issue of Stupefying Stories. {(This went through the queue as Crits #31096 and #31124) } [Feb 2024] |
| Brian Sellnow, who sold (Critter'd) short story, "Motorcycles and Moon" to Black Sheep :Unique Tales of Terror and Wonder. {Thanks to all who helped me make the story better! } [Feb 2024] |
| Renan Bernardo, who sold his short story, "The Walking Mirror of the Soul" to Escape Pod. {The reprint of my story about aliens who shows people's thoughts on their skin will be published by Escape Pod. It was originally published in Apex Magazine #134. } [Jan 2024] |
| Michael Stevens, whose (Critter'd) short story, "How to Catch a Finch" is now out in the current issue of Sunshine Superhighway: Solar Sailings. {Thanks to everyone who critiqued this story. } [Jan 2024] |
| Renan Bernardo, whose short story, "The Wattled Goddess" is now out in the current issue of Andromeda Spaceways #93. {The Wattled Goddess is certainly the darkest story I ever wrote. Kissare travels across the desert, her body the vessel for the goddess Epidemya. At the whims of Werius, the deacon, Kissare transports diseases, sucking them out from the “good people” and transfering them to prisoners of wars and criminals. She does that to preserve the life of Orjiel, the old and decaying poet, the only person she has ever loved in her life, and the only life she has ever spared during her time as a desert marauder. } [Jan 2024] |
| Dsle Cozort, whose novel, "There Will Always Be an England" is now out from Self published. {My novel "There Will Always Be an England" is now available on Amazon. Two weeks after D-Day, all of 1944 Britain disappears, replaced by a version from deep in the past. } [Dec 2023] |
| Renan Bernardo, who sold his short story, "The Wattled Goddess" to Andromeda Spaceways Magazine. [Dec 2023] |
| Richard Zwicker, who sold his (Critter'd) book, "The Sum of Its Parts" to Water Dragon Publishing. {This is a collection of my "Frankenstein, Detective" stories, along with the title novelette. The stories were previously published in ezines. Thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions. } [Dec 2023] |
| Douglas Kolacki, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Royal Fortune is a Go" to Amazing Stories. [Dec 2023] |
| Chris Hepler, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "High Water Mark" to the anthology "Paladins of Valor" by Chris Kennedy Publishing. {Big thanks to all the Critters who read and critiqued it! } [Dec 2023] |
| Dwayne Minton, whose (Critter'd) short story, "Carbon Zero" is now out in the current issue of Lightspeed Magazine. {Thank you to everyone who commented on this one--your comments greatly improved the final story. } [Dec 2023] |
| Renan Bernardo, who reports "My collection of Solarpunk/Clifi short stories, Different Kinds of Defiance, is accepting preorders! It will be published on March 2024.". {Defiance has many faces, and in Different Kinds of Defiance, they are as varied as they are gripping. In a world teetering on the brink of moral ambiguity, each story is a testament to the spirit that resists, rebuilds, and redeems. >From the sunbaked docks of a Rio de Janeiro, changed yet still familiar, to the oil-streaked shores of Barra Nova, Renan Bernardo weaves tales of characters caught in the throes of life's tempests. Meet Hamilton, whose pursuit of a stolen yacht morphs into a crusade for healthcare for the forgotten, his acts a mosaic of bravery and necessity. Walk with Vitória as she battles the relentless tide of pollution with a fleet of smart-bots at her side, her resolve as persistent as the oil that stains her beach. Stand by Jota, who faces the storms of parenting in the shadow of a past that is never quite done with him or his defiant bloodline. Different Kinds of Defiance is a collection for the rebels at heart—for those who find courage where hope seems lost and for whom every act of resistance is an act of sheer will. Can one steal for the greater good? Can technology heal a land left for dead? Can a single act of love withstand a legacy of struggle? Dive into these stories of resilience and witness the many forms defiance can take when faced with the precipice of change. } [Dec 2023] |
| Viterbo Guedez (M.G. Viterbo), whose (Critter'd) short story, "How to Spit in Microgravity" is now out in the current issue of Savage Planets. [Nov 2023] |
| Russell Adams, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Pretending to Live" to Wicked Shadow Press: "Apocalyptales: The End Is Nigh". {One of the things I like about Wicked Shadow Press is that they offer personal acceptances: Mine read: "Such a powerful and evocative piece. The depth of emotion and the stark contrast between the characters' memories and their current reality are greatly impactful. Your narrative beautifully captures our resilience in the face of despair and the desperate need to find meaning and connection even in the bleakest of circumstances." } [Nov 2023] |
| Becky Neher, who reports "Crittered short story "Filter" earned an honorable mention in Allegory Magazine's latest issue (Vol 44/71)". [Nov 2023] |
| David Zweifler, whose short story, "Wasted Potential" is now out in the current issue of Analog. [Nov 2023] |
| Patrick Tibbits, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "SMRTSS" to After dinner conversation. [Nov 2023] |
| Ron Fein, whose short story, "A Line in the Fading Paint" is now out in the current issue of Nonprofit Quarterly (fall 2023 climate justice issue). [Oct 2023] |
| Richard Zwicker, whose (Critter'd) short story, "The Light and the Dark" is now out in the current issue of On the Premises. [Oct 2023] |
| Richard Zwicker, whose (Critter'd) short story, "Possession Is Ten-tenths of the Law"" is now out in the current issue of Stupefying Stories. [Oct 2023] |
| Russell Adams, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Night Stirrings" to Wicked Shadow Press's "Halloweenthology: Día de Muertos". {Publication will be later this month. } [Oct 2023] |
| Douglas Kolacki, whose (Critter'd) short story, "Salvador Dali and the Convergence" is now out in the current issue of The Worlds Within. [Oct 2023] |
| David Lee Zweifler, who sold his short story, "Stuck In The Middle" to Nature Futures. [Sep 2023] |
| David Lee Zweifler, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Getting Better" to Dragon Gems. [Sep 2023] |
| Richard Zwicker, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "The Light and the Dark" to On the Premises. [Sep 2023] |
| Renan Bernardo, who sold his short story, "A Lifeline of Silk" to Robotic Ambitions (by Apex). [Sep 2023] |
| Renan Bernardo, whose (Critter'd) short story, "Faster Than Light Can Carry You" is now out in the current issue of Simultaneous Times Vol. 3. {This story has been heavily crittered back in the day before it reached its final stage. I owe a lot to my fellow critters, so thanks! } [Sep 2023] |
| Richard Zwicker, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Sandstorm in the Hourglass" to Dragon Gems. [Sep 2023] |
| Richard Zwicker, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, ""Possession Is Ten-tenths of the Law"" to Stupefying Stories. [Sep 2023] |
| Douglas Kolacki, whose (Critter'd) short story, "Miracle of Death" is now out in the current issue of Black Sheep, Unique Tales of Terror and Wonder. [Aug 2023] |
| Becky Neher, whose short story, "Titans of Industry" is now out in the current issue of 365tomorrows. [Aug 2023] |
| Barbara Patten, whose short story, "No Accident" is now out in the current issue of Microfiction Monday Magazine. [Aug 2023] |
| Richard Zwicker, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Robot Stand-up" to Antithesis Journal. [Aug 2023] |
| Ron Fein, whose short story, "Panache!" is now out in the current issue of Factor Four. [Aug 2023] |
| Douglas Kolacki, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Salvador Dali and the Convergence" to The Worlds Within. [Aug 2023] |
| Douglas Kolacki, whose (Critter'd) short story, "Miracle of Death" is now out in the current issue of Black Sheep, Unique Tales of Terror and Wonder. {This story was written & Crittered in April of 2018. It took five years, but finally it found a good home! Thanks again to all who weighed in. } [Aug 2023] |
| JRH Lawless, who reports "This is the Good Part, the third book in my Hugo-long-listed adult SF humour series just went up for free in ARC format on NetGalley: [URL] [Jul 2023] |
| Ron Fein, who sold his short story, "Panache!" to Factor Four Magazine. [Jul 2023] |
| Renan Bernardo, who reports "My short story "Look to the Sky, My Love" is a nominee for the 2023 Utopia Award". {It was published in Solarpunk Magazine #1. Votes can be cast here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEbxfuv8Tvzo-Y0KZiwHfMHInclIEFmvXUGJOshbyQBtev5w/viewform } [Jul 2023] |
| Russell Weisfield, who has won the Writers of the Future Silver Honorable Mention award for his (Critter'd) short story, "The Sphinx's Search for a Riddle". [Jul 2023] |
| Jordan Chase-Young, whose short story, "Gather Me a Treasure" is now out in the current issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. [Jul 2023] |
| Jordan Chase-Young, whose (Critter'd) short story, "Something Rich and Strange" is now out in the current issue of Aurealis. [Jun 2023] |
| Renan Bernardo, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Curselifter" to Tales to Terrify. {This story will be reprinted (narrated to audio, actually) in Tales to Terrify! It was originally published in Dark Recesses #16. } [Jun 2023] |
| Renan Bernardo, whose short story, "Eight Steps to Steal a Yacht and Build a Hospital" is now out in the current issue of Solarpunk Magazine #8. {It has also been optioned to be developed into a screenplay! } [May 2023] |
| Ron Fein, whose (Critter'd) short story, "A Dragon Looks at Four Thousand" is now out in the current issue of MetaStellar. {Thanks to all who helped critique and improve the original draft! } [May 2023] |
| Jordan Chase-Young, whose short story, "The Fall" is now out in the current issue of Clarkesworld. [May 2023] |
| Douglas Kolacki, whose (Critter'd) short story, "Not from Saturn" is now out in the current issue of Allegory. [May 2023] |
| Douglas Kolacki, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "When It's Invented" to Tender Fury magazine. [May 2023] |
| Kevin Stadt, who sold his (Critter'd) novel, "Warped Brood" to Planet Bizarro Press. [Apr 2023] |
| 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. } [Mar 2023] |
| 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! } [Mar 2023] |
| 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. } [Mar 2023] |
| 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! } [Mar 2023] |
| Renan Bernardo, whose short story, "A Short Biography of a Conscious Chair" is now out in the current issue of Samovar Magazine. {It's a novelette and was published both in English and Portuguese } [Feb 2023] |
| Douglas Kolacki, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Recruiting for the Gaspee" to SolidaRity, a Rhode Island anthology. [Feb 2023] |
| David Lee Zweifler, who sold his short story, "The Laughing Wolverine" to Calliope Interactive. {This was a ghost story that I wrote for my son more than a year ago. It was important to me, and I loved it, but it was a bit of a tough sell because it was slightly funny and not very scary. It had a lot of near-misses and positive, personalized rejections but it had more than 70 submissions and 50 (!!!) rejections. Did I consider trunking it? You betcha! But I didn't. And now it has sold at near-pro rates. (Keep hustling without shame, my friends!) } [Feb 2023] |
| Renan Bernardo, who sold his short story, "Short Biography of a Conscious Chair" to Samovar Magazine. {It's going to be published both in English and Portuguese. } [Feb 2023] |
| Andrew Giffin, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "The Hard Problem of Consciousness" to Drabblecast. {Thanks everyone who provided feedback! } [Feb 2023] |
| LindaAnn LoSchiavo, who has won the Thirty West Publishing Company's "Fresh Start" award for her poem, "a.k.a. Pyewacket Sent Me". {My piece was a #VISPO designed to be a prose-poem disguised as a Barnes and Noble cash register receipt. As such my #VISPO does not actually have a "title" - - hence the a.k.a. designation. Thirty West Publishing has organized a group reading for the five winners for 8 February 2023 on ZOOM. If you want a Feb. 8th link, D.M. me. } [Jan 2023] |
| LindaAnn LoSchiavo, who sold her book, "Felones de SE: Poems about Suicide" to Ukiyoto. {Summary: With a sprinkling of dark humor and a full measure of compassion, "Felones de Se: Poems about Suicide" is surprising, quirky, and a riveting read. Inspired by actual suicides, one of them a blood relative, these poems are resonant, impossibly moving, bittersweet, and strange. Tagline: A pen dipped in truth serum leavened with lyrical language } [Jan 2023] |
| David Lee Zweifler, who sold his short story, "Running In Circles" to The Paramnesia Anthology from Grendel Press. [Jan 2023] |
| Richard Zwicker, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Sandstorm in the Hourglass" to Mythic. [Jan 2023] |
| Douglas Kolacki, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Trade You Valentine's Day for Halloween" to Three Crows magazine. [Jan 2023] |
| Dwayne Minton, who sold his short story, "Mementoes of My Lives (Un)lived" to Manawaker Studio’s Flash Fiction Podcast. {So happy to see this one find a second life as a podcast. This one originally appeared a few years ago in Nature. } [Jan 2023] |
| Dwayne Minton, whose short story, "The Illusory Truth of Magical Mike's Page Six" is now out in the current issue of Etherea Magazine. [Jan 2023] |
| Jordan Chase-Young, who sold his short story, "The Fall" to Clarkesworld. [Jan 2023] |
| Jordan Chase-Young, who sold his short story, "The Fall" to Clarkesworld. [Jan 2023] |
| Renan Bernardo, whose short story, "Great-Granny Bethany's Memories of Space" is now out in the current issue of Future Science Fiction Digest. [Dec 2022] |
[Click here to see the full list of Woohoos going back to 1996.]
