Hey guys. Guess what, it’s Awards Season for us Science Fiction Writers and so a lot of people will be writing these here “Award Eligibility” posts where they list and link their stories that are eligible for professional awards – that is, stories that appeared in SFWA-Approved markets for the Nebula and, um… well the Hugo says “professional publication” but they don’t have a handy list like SFWA.
I digress. In the distant hope that you, dear reader, might have voting privileges for something (I will GLADLY accept the Greater Cleveland Boozehounds Association Award for Most Boozy Author) here are my stories (short stories defined as works under 7,500 words) that were published in the 2017 calendar year in a professional-rate publication:
1. “Quirks” in the November 2017 Analog. (Print or ebook) Scabs are sneaking away union secrets! When collective bargaining meets direct memory transfer, watch out for the quirks.
2. “The Flirtbot Condition” on Terraform / Mothership October 2017. How can a flirtbot learn to flirt if no one talks to it?
3. “The First Trebuchet on Mars” in the September/October 2017 Analog. (Print or ebook) This one is (shockingly) about the first Trebuchet catapult on Mars. My medieval reenactment tribute.
4. “Metal and Flesh” at Daily Science Fiction. A dark future with humans enslaved by robots.
5. “We All Scream” on Escape Pod podcast. (download audio) A family operated ice cream truck is one town’s only hope against a rampaging monster.
6. “Stepping Out of Stream” on T. Gene Davis’ Speculative Blog. An elderly protagonist stepping into a real world beyond ubiquitous VR and finding beauty.
7. “Cross the Street” on Cast of Wonders podcast in March, 2017. (download audio) Kids vs. Autos in a world where pedestrians have no right to cross the street.
8. ”Fourth-Dimensional Tessellations of American College Graduates” in The Reckoning 2 (ebook December 2017, print coming in June 2018.) A group of twenty-somethings uncover a mystery involved 4th dimensional geometry and bees.
I also sold one poem to a pro market, Illumen. “The Magic Mirror Confesses” is one of my favorite poems I’ve written, and a hit at readings so I’m very glad it found a home.
It was a busy and kinda rockin’ year. Hope there’s something here you like!
