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Ahoy, Critterfolk!
New entry May 28

Critter Notices

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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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)

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

Free Ad for a Fellow Workshop Member:

The Critters Queue

Submission files themselves are here.

Queue of manuscripts out or to be sent (dates are estimated,
depending on number of mss. sent out, which depends on number of
members; probabalistically, the end of the queue is usually about
a month away):


     Title                      	Author
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Week of 7-May-2025 (Crits due 14-May-2025):
 H   Shadows                            [mpc] Lawrence Vernon -#31833
 F   Evangeline, Chapter 9              Brian Sellnow -#31834
 F   Wolf Warrior Chapter 1             Erin Tunney -#31835
 SF  Where the Thunder Goes             Ryan Twombly -#31836
 SF  Minotaur chapter 1                 James Newton -#31837
 H   Crane's Unnatural Oddities         R.J. Melby -#31838

Week of 14-May-2025 (Crits due 21-May-2025):
 F   Elementals Ch 0-2                  Abby Kargol
 H   Zombie Apocalypse at WonderMart    Douglas Ryan
 H   Blackjack and Blood Chapter 1      Jim Keane [after-novel] [after-novel]
 SF  deadwife.exe                       Holly Hefner
 F   Of the Blood, Chapter 2            Shaunna

Week of 21-May-2025 (Crits due 28-May-2025):
 SF  Lucky Boy Chapter 1                Yash Upadhyay
 SF  Live in the Dream Chapter 1        John Francis Willems
 F   The Haunted House of Hollywood Hills  Anne Hansell
 F   Fox and Spirit Chapter 1           Daniel Piper
 SF  An Orchid For Ellie                Matt Georgeson
 SF  The Faster Than Light Go-Cart ch 1  Tom Blackstone

Week of 28-May-2025 (Crits due 4-Jun-2025):
 SF  Bringer of Sorrow, Part 10, Chapt 26 - 28  Sean Masters
 SF  Science Unleashed Chapters 4-8     Dallas Nicholls
 F   Last Train to Xianyang             Liam Kelly
 F   Dreamrider chapters 1-3            Chris Owens
 SF  #thiq                              Amanda Niehaus-Hard
 F   The Tale of Alfred                 Margaret Moller
======================================================================
      (Note, if the last week above looks abnormally large, it probably
      needs me to add a new week, a task I do manually when I get around
      to it.  Future critique dates are approximate and subject to change.)

Symbols:

[@] - Pro [SFWA/HWA] author
[*] - Extra week(s) for holidays/aburt-out-of-town.
[mpc] - Most Product Critter Award winner
[!] - Special non-Wednesday dates because Critter Captain will be out of town
[ERROR!] - This means there is a problem and your manuscript will NOT be
     sent out - Contact the Critter Captain ASAP if you see this by your name.

Waiting to enter Queue (Will enter at end of queue on "[date]"):
 SF  Bringer of Sorrow, Part 11, Chapt 29 - 31  Sean Masters [4-Jun-2025]
 SF  Bringer of Sorrow, Part 12, Chapt 32 - 33  Sean Masters [?]
 SF  Bringer of Sorrow, Part 13, Chapt 34  Sean Masters [?]
 SF  Bringer of Sorrow, Part 14, Chapt 35 - 36  Sean Masters [?]
 SF  Bringer of Sorrow, Part 15, Chapt 37 - 38  Sean Masters [?]
 SF  Bringer of Sorrow, Part 16, Chapt 39 - 40  Sean Masters [?]
 F   Evangeline, Chapter 10             Brian Sellnow [14-May-2025]
 SF  Stormchaser                        Liam Kelly [4-Jun-2025]
 F   Wolf Warrior Chapter 2             Erin Tunney [14-May-2025]
 F   Evangeline, Chapter 11 and 12      Brian Sellnow [?]
 SF  Science Unleashed Chapters 9-14    Dallas Nicholls [4-Jun-2025]
 H   Blackjack and Blood Chapter 2      Jim Keane [21-May-2025]
 SF  Science Unleashed Chapters 15-21   Dallas Nicholls [?]
 SF  Cuckoo                             Liam Kelly [?]
 H   Blackjack and Blood Chapter 3      Jim Keane [?]
 SF  Science Unleashed Chapters 22-26   Dallas Nicholls [?]
 H   Blackjack and Blood Chapter 4      Jim Keane [?]
 F   Evangeline, Chapters 13 and 14     Brian Sellnow [?]
 F   Evangeline, Chapter 15             Brian Sellnow [?]
 F   Evangeline, Chapters 16 and 17     Brian Sellnow [?]
 F   Galal                              Ryan Twombly [14-May-2025]
 F   Singer of the Vale                 Ryan Twombly [?]
				-+-

Held until participation ratio improves (then out that week):
 SF  Revenants                          Katelyn Sullivan [12-Mar-2025]
 F   MNA - Chapter 1 In this moment, it was just them  Logan Douglas [19-Mar-2025]
 H   Hazel's Haunted House Adventure = Chapter 5  Adam Zehnbauer [26-Mar-2025]
 SF  The Weary Mans Burden              Benjamin Hamilton [09-Apr-2025]
 SF  Ruins of gold                      Caladin B. [16-Apr-2025]
 F   The Relentless Mercenary Chapter One  Xander Gillmer [16-Apr-2025]
                                :::


>> Note 1:  Held manuscripts are removed after four weeks on hold and
>> must be resubmitted.

>> Note 2:  It is the *author's* responsibility to notify Aburt when
>> they have brought up their critique count and want their ms. sent out.




[Click here to see the queue including archival data from 1995.]