Latest acceptance

Rhys Hughes has notified me of the acceptance of my story "Crab Apples" which will be published in the winter issue of "Sein und Werden". He is the guest editor for that issue.

 ISMs Press is the independent Manchester-based publisher of the art and literary zine. "Sein und Werden" is German for "being and becoming".  It describes itself as "a literary magazine of experimental prose, poetry and artwork that seeks to merge and modernise the ideas behind Expressionism, Surrealism and Existentialism."

Good reaction

Positive reaction already coming in for "Snow Globe". This reposted from Facebook:

Walter Giersbach: Absolutely loved this story for its characters and plot development, but my hat’s off in particular for your pure invention. Creating an entire cosmos is one of the toughest chores in spec fic, but I think you did it here. Congratulations!

"Snow Globe"

Bewildering Stories Issue No. 500 has just come out, and it has my story "Snow Globe", an unusual journey - for me, at least - to a post-Singularity World. It is my 72st story story of mine published since Revolution S-F published "Silvern" in June 2003. It is my 11th story this year, which ties my annual record of last year.


If I get one more story published this year, I will have set a new record of an even dozen in one calendar year. I'm pretty sure I will do that, thanks to a story scheduled in the winter edition of 4 Star Stories. I have another three stories pending publication elsewhere.

This year I've had stories published from up to eight cents a word to zilch per sale. I don't think that's common, but I suppose it highlights the fact that I write for the enjoyment and don't think much about the money - at least from this source. I'm fortunate because I like my day job, and unlike many fiction writers, I would rather do that than write fiction. So although on the basis of my publications and earnings I'm considered a professional genre writer, I really see myself as an amateur.

"Uncle Gumball Saves the World"

My collaborator, Ed Morris, writes that Sheby Ivy at Pulp Spirit magazine has picked up our story, "Uncle Gumball Saves the World". It will be in issue No. 17, which will be published next year. Edward correctly apprises that the story is was influenced by Dallas television kids show host Jerry Haynes, who played "Mr. Peppermint" on Dallas television from 1961 to 1969 and then again from 1975 to 1996.

"Uncle Gumball" supposes a third Dallas kids' TV host (Mr. Peppermint's rival was Icky Twerp, who's show was called "Slam Bang Theater" and ran Three Stooges shorts and cartoons).

The fictional "Uncle Gumball" - an obvious knock-off of Mr. Peppermint - outlives both his more successful rivals (Haynes died last year, Bill Camfield, who played Icky Twerp, died in 1991) and deep into the 21st century and while on a nostalgia show unloads a piece of business he was never allowed to use on the the air on his kiddie show - with apocalyptic results.

You'll have to read the story.

The amateur

Bewildering stories will be publishing my short story "Snow Globe" next week. It will be my 72nd story published since June 2003. It will be my 11th this year, which matches the total number of stories I had published in 2011. If I get one more story published this year, I will have set a new record of an even dozen in one calendar year. I'm pretty sure I will do that, thanks to a story scheduled in the winter edition of 4 Star Stories. I have another three stories pending publication elsewhere.

This year I've had stories published from up to eight cents a word to zilch per sale. I don't think that's common, but I suppose it highlights the fact that I write for the enjoyment and don't think much about the money - at least from this source. I'm fortunate because I like my day job, and unlike many fiction writers, I would rather do that than write fiction. So although on the basis of my publications and earnings I'm considered a professional genre writer, I really see myself as an amateur.

Book fair on Friday

I received an invitation to participate in a college book fair this past weekend. Normally, I have a problem attending book fairs since I work on Saturdays, but this book fair is being held on a Friday afternoon - my day off. So I will try to make it.

It is being held at Wiley College in Marshall, outside its library. I have posted a copy of the flier.

Wiley College is a historically black college founded after the Civil War. It has a distinguished history, and its debating team's winning of the national championship in 1935 was fictionalized in the 2007 movie "The Great Debaters"?

On the subject of days off, it looks like, because of a change in the publication schedule at the newspaper, I may be getting Saturdays and Sundays off in the future.

Slush pile shuffle

Spent time Sunday updating my submissions log and otherwise tending to records that were starting to get disorganized.

I got an email Thursday from a magazine to whom I sent a story in January and never heard back from. I queried in September and also didn't get a reply, so moved on and resubmitted the story elsewhere. It was rejected and has been submitted elsewhere.

Now someone from the magazine finally replied. They were very apologetic, but have no record of ever having received the story. They asked I send it by email, which I did (it was originally mailed). I guess this is a multi-sub now, but unavoidable. I hope there are no complications.

"Back Own My Stab"

Jotted off a flash this week, "Back Own My Stab", a tail-biter of a time travel story - hence the backwards title. Amazingly, it came in at exactly 1,000 words. At this length, I pretty much had the story worked out and memorized in my head, so when I sat down to write it, it only took an hour.

I've dropped it in the slush pile for an anthology; if they don't want it, I'll send it to Daily S-F. It has a lot to compare with "Double Exposure".

This is the 106th story I've written in ten years.

Depleted the stock

I just took stock and realize I only have a half dozen stories currently under consideration in various slushpiles. That may be the lowest ever for me since I started. Of course, with eleven stories already published this year - and four acceptances waiting to be published - I suppose that makes sense. I need to write up some more.

Second try

Last spring, with the cooperation of the local community college, I offered a Continuing Education course in Speculative Fiction writing. It needed a half dozen students to "make" but it only got two. We decided to give a try again this fall. This time there were no sign-ups.

The folks here in East Texas are more interested in westerns, romance, and non-fiction. It was worth a try, anyway.

Latest sale

Just esigned a contract for my story "The Relic" which will be published by Bruce Bethke's monthly ezine anthology "Stupefying Stories". Happy to be among their authors.

This will be my 72nd, 73rd or 74th short story, depending on when it runs (I already have two bought and pending in other mags). I also have a story sold to a anthology.

More praise for "Double Exposure"

Frank Dutkiewicz, reviewing the June offerings of Daily Science Fiction for the e-zine Diabolical Plots, had high praise for my story "Double Exposure":--A better path develops for a distraught man in “Double Exposure” by Lou Antonelli. Jake is about to end it all. He has been trying to keep his high maintenance wife happy for decades and has needed to embezzle to satisfy her spending habits. Now, on the verge of indictment and abandoned by his spouse, he buys a gun. Before he pulls the trigger, he spies a Kodak one-day photo hut. Curious, he pulls up to the window. They are holding pictures of him and his last girlfriend from 30 years before. The package is a lot thicker than it should be.

“Double Exposure” is listed as an Alternative History story but I would classify it as a Magical Realism tale. It is set as a second chance tale, a look into a life that should have been. The author is inspired by his memories of the old photo huts (I remember them) and of their disappearance. A cool idea (photos of another life), one that I could imagine would make for a great anthology.