"Dispatches" reviewed at SF Site

Just last night I commented to Patricia that "Dispatches from the Troubles", my novellete published in Greatest Uncommon Denominator (GUD) No. 6, looks to be my greatest literary flop. In three reviews of GUD that I've seen previously, one ignored it and the others didn't like it.

"Troubles" was experimental on my part; the format (fake news stories) and the length (over 11,000 words) were an innovation. I accepted the poor reviews philosophically - if you stick your neck out, someone may start sawing away at it. I am grateful to the editors of GUD for the faith they put in the story, and anyway, the check cleared. Although GUD doesn't pay pro rates, because of the length of the story it was the scond largest sale I ever made, topping the check I got from Asimov's ("The Witch of Waxahachie" at Jim Baen's Universe remains my most lucrative story.)

After all these ruminations, I just saw that the SF Site's Mid-May edition has a review of Issue No. 6 of GUD by Seamus Sweeney, and it generally has positive things to say about Dispatches - and its criticisms are valid. You can follow the link above to the page for the full review, but I have cut and pasted the part about "Dispatches" below:

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The longest story here is Lou Antonelli's "Dispatches From the Troubles," which takes the form of a series of newspaper stories from an alternate history universe in which an American Irish Republic was established in 1850, between the Rio Grande and the Nueces River. New York born Eamon de Valera did not return to Ireland as a child but remained in America (as Edward de Valera) and became the universally beloved President of the AIR in the early to mid-twentieth century. There was no partition of Ireland into Free State and Northern Ireland in 1921, but the victorious IRA gave the Loyalist and Unionist communities in Ireland the choice of "the suitcase or the coffin," leading to mass emigration to the AIR. The mock news stories discuss the descent of the AIR, which has a sizeable Loyalist (or "Orange") minority, into sectarian strife that in some ways mirrors what happened in Northern Ireland from the late 60s.
It is interesting, as an Irish reader, to encounter this alternate history universe. There are lots of entertainingly tweaked versions of real life figures, from William F. Buckley (a sectarian Catholic rabble rouser here, with his loquacious use of language intact) to "John" Paisley (an Americanised Ian Paisley) and a lot of clever references to real events. I must say however that something about the whole conceit did not ring true; an odd thing to say about an alternate history, but after all one of the tests of good alt history is whether it feels like "this could have happened." Certainly the ultimate outcome of the story (which I won't reveal) does not reflect anything that happened in Northern Ireland. There were also some odd references to the Orange community being enthusiasts of "Irish football," which if it is meant to be Gaelic Football seems unlikely. Perhaps it is some kind of AIR version of gridiron. Antonelli's correspondents (who include R.W. Apple, Tom Wolfe and Hunter S. Thompson) make a few solecisms with the real historical record; for instance Apple describes the Battle of the Boyne as "a famous victory over Catholic forces." As William Of Orange's supporters included the Pope, and you can't get more Catholic than that, "Jacobite" would have been more accurate.

In any case, the story is diverting and, as with the previous GUD issue, this is a collection worth reading.

Latest project

I spent time Monday writing up a news release to use for touting "Texas & Other Planets", which I then posted. I also spent a little time sending out some copies via email. One Texas newspaper features it on their web page, The Colorado City Record. It looks good.

My real purpose is whipping up the press release is to have a story to send the local paper when I hold a signing. My next step is to set up signings. Local (meaning East Texas) chain book stores are few and far between; the only chain really is Hastings, and they are so downtrodden it's a waste of time to go there. I might revisit the one in Longview; I sold seven copies - I think - of "Fantastic Texas" when I visited them in 2010, but otherwise I've visited stores where I sold between 0 and 2 copies. The employees are hapless and stunned, and they don't help authors out at all. Joe Lansdale and I talked about this when I visited the Hastings in Nacogdoches last December.

Independent book stores are probably a much better bet; it was disheartening, though, when the bookstore in Marshall where I debuted "Texas & Other Planets" - and sold 13 copies - back in December closed up shop a month ago. Prospero's will be missed.

The only signing I have set for now is with the Friends of the Library in New Boston next October, but I plan to set up a series of signing between now and then and the end of the year. That's why I spent time working up the news release. Sometime later this year I expect Yard Dog Press will be publishing "Music for Four Hands", my chapbook of stories I wrote with Ed Morris. Then I will have even more books to tout.

I'm thinking about renting a half table for ArmadilloCon in August. With "Fantastic Texas" and "Texas & Other Planets" and "Music for Four Hands", I actually may have some stuff to peddle. Maybe I'll get some copies of GUD, too.

Just in time for summer reading

Grab a good book and visit “Texas & Other Planets”

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas – Texas once was the Lone Star Republic, and to this day some people claim the state is a “whole ‘nother country” – but is Texas also a planet?
You might think that way after you read “Texas & Other Planets”, the second collection of short stories published by East Texas author Lou Antonelli.
Just published by the Merry Blacksmith Press of Rhode Island, “Texas & Other Planets” is a compilation of 20 of the best Antonelli science fiction and fantasy stories previously published in the U.S., England and Australia during the past decade.
From a Texarkana struggling to recover from the effects of World War III (“Avatar”), to a Waxahachie that runs on magic instead of science (“The Witch of Waxahachie”), to a Dallas turning to dust as global warming sets in (“Rome, If You Want To”) to a Laredo nuked by Irish terrorists (“Dispatches from The Troubles”), with a stop at the Battle of San Jacinto thrown in (“A Djinn for General Houston”), most of Antonelli’s imaginative stories are set in his adopted home state.
Antonelli, who is the managing editor of the Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune in Titus County in East Texas, has had 54 short stories published since 2003. His first reprint collection, “Fantastic Texas”, was published in 2009.
“The Year’s Best Science Fiction” published by St. Martin’s Press in New York City has cited ten Antonelli stories in its annual “Honorable Mentions” list published in conjunction with its anthology. All are included in “Texas & Other Planets”.
Gardner Dozois, the former editor of Asimov’s Science Fiction who published “A Rocket for the Republic” – the leadoff story in the collection - and who is currently editor of “The Year’s Best Science Fiction”, writes on the cover of “Texas & Other Planets” that “Lou Antonelli is an ambitious young writer with lots of imagination and verve, who never forgets about the mysteries of the human heart.”
“Texas & Other Planets” is available from Amazon or directly from the publisher at http://www.merryblacksmith.com/.

Some usefulness

When I first began to use Facebook, I did so just because everybody does. It's a time waster and those stupid games are pretty much in the process of destroying the American economy by keeping people from gainful employment (I think they're being developed by a sector of the Chinese government).

BUT, I have to admit that because everyone uses Facebook, it has a certain usefulness as a source of information. Right now, I have story in the slush pile for anthology, and also in the slush pile for a new start-up magazine, that were publicized by Facebook friends who are authors.

Writing progress

Haven't actually added to or started anything this week, I have been busy filling holes in plot outlines and writing out some new outlines. I've kept a tight watch on the slush pile shuffle because I anticipate a spurt here where a few stories may wrap up in a few weeks.

I also finished up the outline for a continuing ed proposal I floated at the local community college. Got some feedback and made some changes, waiting for them to get back to me.

Catching up

There were a number of projects I put off during the two weeks I didn't have my reading glasses, and I've made steady progress getting caught up since last Tuesday, especially this weekend.

I finished beta reading two stories I had committed to, and sent off an entry to a fiction contest being sponsored by the Texas Observer (curated by Larry McMurtry). Both of these projects deadlined on May 1st.

Today I whipped up a four-page outline for a continuing ed class I'm pitching to the local community college. It would be done in six class sessions.

Got a note from Howard on Friday, he said he finished his blurb for "Texas & Other Planets" and he liked the stories. I'm going to send the letter to Ed Morris, he will get a kick out of that.

Did the drawing for the free copy of "Texas & Other Planets", which also deadlined May 1st. Used a random number generator, and the winner is close to home, Paige Milton Alexander, who's a reporter for the Texarkana Gazette. We used to cover the same Bowie County beat when I worked at the Bowie County Citizens-Tribune.

Talk about small world!

A note from the New Yorker

I was startled yesterday to get see a letter from the New Yorker in the mail. Inside was a note, a response to a submission query.

A few weeks ago, I sent off the query, and a day or two later realized I had done something lame-brained - I forgot to include a SASE. That's kind of a breach of protocol.

Oh, well, we all suffer occasional bouts of cerebral flatulence. I hoped the editors at the New Yorker wouldn't hold it against me.

I got a nice little handwritten note, apologizing for not being able to find the story, and suggesting I send it again. That was nice, and I'm glad I didn't offend them. I'm sure the slush pile at the New Yorker rises to the ceiling, and I certainly don't need to create work for them.