Wow! Another great review

Tangent online on Tuesday came out with its review of the second issue of Darker Matter, and - wow - they loved "Avatar". This is what Alasdair Stuart wrote:

"Lou Antonelli’s story, "Avatar," begins at the end, decades after a nuclear war. Doc Damon and Professor Ledkins are members of staff at the University of Texakarna, the capital of the new, if heavily damaged, Texas. It’s implied, although never stated outright, that in this world the Cuban Missile Crisis turned into all-out war, and much of America is in ruins. Decades on from the war though, scientists are patiently working to recreate mankind’s knowledge and Damon and Ledkins think they may have a solution to a very big problem indeed. What they find instead manages to not only turn the "post world war III" genre on its head but also to comment on one of the oldest and least interesting SF tropes with a good deal of compassion and warmth.


"Antonelli’s story is hard work, at least at first. The war and the state of the world takes up much of the front end and is presented in a fairly unabashed info dump, albeit one which functions well for the character. That aside, there’s a lot to enjoy here from the peaceful, if ramshackle, University life Ledkins enjoys to the genuinely surprising ending. This reviewer is an unashamed fan of historical enigma fiction and Antonelli marries that with one of the oldest SF tropes in the book to create something new and quietly, intellectually heroic."

Mr. Stuart got everything - how I went out on a tightrope trying to do something new with the old post-Apocalyptic trope, how I went for the usual Antonelli twist ending ("genuinely surprising"), how I dropped the hints about how in this alternate world the Cuban Missile Crisis resulted in WWIII, and how I use the "unabashed" info dump.

This may be the best single review a story of mine has ever gotten. Tangent didn't like "Rocket", too! Nice encouragement.

Very nice review

I do sometimes take great breaks from this goofy blog, because:

1. I hate blogs. They're too much like work - my work, being a journalist.

2. I have a constant battle with carpal tunnel syndrome, and when I'm trying to shed (work) load, it's a logical thing to dump. Besides, I have my own web site, Sentinel S-F.

But I have to admit, this is something to make note of. I got my copy of SF Crowsnest in my email two days ago. It's one of the two monthly s-f newsletters I get (the other is Ansible). I saw a fellow named Rod McDonald reviewed the second issue of Darker Matter, the April issue. He was very positive on the webzine in general, and then said about my story:

"However, my favourite was 'Avatar' by Lou Antonelli. This is a story about Texas by an author from Texas. Only it is set in an alternative reality in the early 21st century, some forty plus years after a nuclear war had ravaged America and presumably the Soviet Union as well. Antonelli is of an age to have been around in the early sixties when everyone more or less expected the probability of a nuclear strike. Being of the same age, I can understand his concerns. The heroes in the story are geriatric guys involved in genetic research, a relevant issue especially with the high mutation rates caused by radiation. This is a worthwhile story and one which you should definitely read!"

Well, I guess he liked it.

I Love It When a Plot Comes Together

A few months ago, I wrote down some notes on a story about a chaplain who gets gets an unusual assignment on another planet. I really thought the story was coming together, but it hung up, mainly because I just couldn't come up with a good title.
Yesterday, on the way home from work, the title finally came to me. It struck me as so appropriate I actually stopped the car and scribbled it down on a svarp of paper.
I began writing out a first draft last night on a legal pad, and I finished it tonight, 18 pages long.
I had thought the most economical way to tell the story would be a monologue (it worked for "A Rocket for the Republic") and that's the way I did it. The protagonist comes back from a Joseph Campbellian-like adventure, and he suspects because of unusual conditions he will forget everything that happened, so he blathers out a utube email to a friend, and that's how the story's told,
I like it and you know - I don't want to sound snotty - but really that's all that counts, because in my opinion, every good writer really only writes for his or her self. Sometimes they may want the money. In my case, I want a good story.
OK, as a bonus (since I mentioned YouTube, here's one of my favorite videos I found there.



They don't make videos like that any more!

Hmmm... a good rejection

I don't know whether you call it a rejection, but I recently heard from Writers of the Future. "The Silver Dollar Saucer" wasn't a finalist for the last quarter of 2006, but I got the "good" rejection letter, inviting me to submit again, and in fact the contest administrator wrote in, by hand, "send more soon".

I learned this week I've been accepted as a panelist at Archon, which will be the first weekend in August. Because WorldCon this year is overseas (in Japan) this will also be the NASFiC. This will be a good chance to rub elbows with some people I don't see regularly.

Back again

Since my last post I spent some of my free time on a volunteer project, typsetting the quarterly newsletter of the local Boy Scout Council. I was a Scout - and enjoyed it very much - but I've never been an adult leader - mainly probably because I never had any kids. But I recently had the oppportunity to help them with this project. It was a little work, but very satisfying.

Unfortunately, the deadline for the newsletter landed at the same time as the dealine for the Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest. I had started a story for the Baen contest, but couldn't finish it on time (by April 9). Oh well, I'm complete it and send it off somewhere else.

"Avatar" has been published at Darker Matter since April 1. Darker Matter has a readers' poll for each story, and it's garnered an average rating of eight out of ten.

"The Amerikaan Way" is also still at Atomjack.

I need to fill out forms and email bios for both Constoga and Fencon right about now.

Back to Aggiecon

OK, let me get back to my recollections from Aggiecon. My third panel on Saturday was on the subject of Literary Collaboration. Beverly Hale was on this one, also, and a graphic artist named Tony Salvaggio, whom I had never met before. Teresa Patterson was the moderator. She showed up a little late, so I began as a pinch hitter and turned it over Teresa.

Maureen McHugh was there, too. I had never met her before - in person. She said she was happy to meet me, and knew me from the internet - specifically the Asimov's discussion forum. She said I had been a "voice of sanity" there (I'm honored).

Each of us had different experiences, so everyone in the audience could apply whatever applied to them. My collaborations with Edward Morris have been very even-handed and reciprocal. Maureen, Teresa and Beverly have all ghost-written or collaborated in shared worlds. Tony's work in graphics is different from all our experiences.

The panel started at 5:15. I was probably back at the hotel by 7:00 p.m. At this point, I was so tired - proably from the lomg drive the night before, plus running around all day - that I was too tired to go to dinner. I actually made a meal from three snacks out the vending machine on the first floor, and was asleep by 8.

Tony's work has been

The Pulp Years of Lou Antonelli

There was a thread on the Asimov's discussion board this week devoted to yours truly. I've copied and pasted it here. I really am kinda honored:
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Asimov's Message Board: General Discussion: The Pulp Years of Lou Antonelli
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By Okie on Friday, March 30, 2007 - 08:24 pm:

I have enjoyed everything I've read by Lou Antonelli. You can kind of picture him, hunched over an old typewriter, just toiling away.

Then, I just ran across something he wrote in this forum a little over five months ago, in which he mentioned he had written 56 stories in the past four years.

But, what was interesting to me was when he wrote: "I probably would have loved the old pulp magazine days."

Now, we are enjoying the pulp years of Lou Antonelli. May there be many more to come!

Okie

By Lou Antonelli on Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 07:04 am:


The blog "No Fear of the Future" a few weeks ago, under the entry "Bring On the Cool Nerds" by Chris Nakashima-Brown, discussed some of the people who were eligible for the Campbell nomination this year, and called me "The heir to the penny a word pulps".

I guess I like that style because I grew up long enough ago that some of those pulp magazines were still around and being thumbed through (I was 12 in 1969). By the time I was reading s-f, the old Ace doubles from the 1950s were being discarded or donated. When I was in sixth grade my classroom had a bunch of old Ace doubles in its library. I thought they were cool!

I don't know what a good definition of "pulp writer" is, but my personal take is that it's someone who's prolific and who values entertainment above morals or message. By that definition, I guess I qualify.

I'm hardly unique in writing often and fast. Joe Lansdale has written 200 short stories in 30 years. Like Joe did when he was young, I don't mind having stories printed in small mags. It helps develop a fan base, and now that Joe's a big writer, he can assemble collections on any topic at the drop of a hat. If I have as much money as Joe does at the same point in my career, I'll be VERY happy.

I's 7 a.m. in East Texas and the rain is COMING DOWN. I live in the northeast corner of the state, bordering Arkansas. Oklahoma is only 20 miles away. BTW, Okie, where are you at???

Lou Antonelli, his own self

By James A. Ritchie on Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 10:24 am:


I've enjoyed everything Lou Antonelli has written, too. And I'm envious as hell of his writing speed, and his writing quality.

By Okie on Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 10:29 am:


Lou,

Everything I said was intended to be complimentary. I also agree with the things in your reply concerning pulp writing.

I turned 21 in 1969, so I grew up in the late 50s and early 60s where I was reading all the sf mags, indeed just about all American sf coming out at that time.

I'm a huge fan of the old pulp style.

As far as where I am, my smart-ass answer is ... sitting in front of the computer.

For a better answer (maybe only a little better) refer to a thread I started yesterday titled: Where Do You Live? (approximately).

I may e-mail you when CON-estoga gets a little closer. I've never attended but I may take the opportunity to go meet you this year.

I'm going to close by giving you my first total endorsement I've given anyone. I confer upon you the Okie-dokie.

Okie

By Lou Antonelli on Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 01:20 pm:


Okie -

I knew everything you said was complimetary - although on the internet, sometimes one say stuff that, without the usual visual cues or tones, can be misintepreted.

Thanks for the Okie-Dokie. I am unworthy of such an honor - but I will acept it. Glad you like my stuff.

Thanks, too, to James. You once said as much in a personal e-mail.

Last weekend I was on a panel at Aggiecon at Texas A&M University in College Station. The subject was "How to Write Short Stories".

I said that I got the writing down by working as a journalist for 30 years. My problems are plot, characters and ideas - just the minor stuff. I've never had an editor tell me a story was badly written.

But there's a drawback - I'm not used to people having an opinion about what I write. If you're a journalist, a story is either accurate or it's not.

Still, thanks for the kind comments. And the webzine Darker Matter has posted its April issue, which includes my story "Avatar".

http://www.darkermatter.com/issue2/avatar.php

It's a weird little tale that combines alternate history with secret history. And no, I wasn't smoking any strange green weeds when I wrote it.
Hope you like it. And "The Amerikaan Way" is still on Atomjack.