"If You Were a Dinah Shore, My Love"

Looks like I will have one last publication before the end of the year. Gallery of Curiosities is slated to podcast my story "If You Were a Dinah Shore, My Love" as part of a double bill on Dec. 28. Mark your calendars!

"For Duty and Humanity!"

Last night Turner Classic Movies played the 1934 hospital drama, "Men in White", which starred Clark Gable and Myrna Loy.

I pointed out to my wife that The Three Stooges parody , "Men in Black", is much better remembered than the film itself.

'Calling Dr. Howard Dr. Fine Dr. Howard" is one of the Stooges' best known catch phrases, and the ending - when they tear up the intercom and finally silence it by pulling out revolvers and shooting the vacuum tube that is still chattering ("Oy, they got me!") is a trope of striking back at technology.
"Men in Black" was the third short made by the Stooges for Columbia and introduced a lot of the business they used in the 187 other films they later made, until 1959.

Ironically, "Men in Black" received an Academy Award nomination, in the Best Short Subject category. while the film it parodied didn't received any nominations - although it was very commercially successful.

Years later, the title "Men in Black" was co-opted by a totally different series of films.

The final irony? In 1998 National Lampoon made a straight-to-television parody of the Will Smith vehicle, and called it "Men in White".

Not a bad year

I've had eight short stories published this year - which might seem like a lot, but I also had eight published in 2004, 2007, 2009, and 2014.

I had 14 in 2012, eleven in 2011, and ten in 2005.

I only had two stories in 2008, but one of them was "The Witch of Waxahachie" in Jim Baen's Universe.

I've had a story listed in the Honorable Mentions in the back of Gardner Dozois' annual "Best of" collection eleven times.

Updated bio

In anticipation of the upcoming publication of my debut novel from WordFire Press, "Another Girl, Another Planet", I had to update my biography, so if anyone is interested, here it is (I have also posted my officious mug shot):

Lou Antonelli started writing fiction in middle age; his first story was published in 2003 when he was 46. He’s had 103 short stories published in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, India and Portugal in venues such as Asimov's Science Fiction, Jim Baen's Universe, Tales of the Talisman, Andromeda Spaceways In-Flight Magazine, Greatest Uncommon Denominator (GUD), Daily Science Fiction, Buzzy Mag, and Omni Reboot, among many others.

His first professional science fiction short story, “A Rocket for the Republic” (Asimov’s Science Fiction Sept. 2005) was the last story accepted by Editor Gardner Dozois before he retired after 19 years.

His 100th published short story “The Yellow Flag” (Sci-Phi Journal Aug. 2016) has the record for fastest acceptance in genre fiction. It was written, submitted and accepted between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on May 6, 2015

His story “Great White Ship”, originally published in Daily Science Fiction, was a 2013 finalist for the Sidewise Award for alternate history. His short story “On a Spiritual Plain”, originally published in Sci Phi Journal, was a finalist for the Hugo award in 2015.

His collections include “Fantastic Texas” published in 2009; “Texas & Other Planets” published in 2010; and “The Clock Struck None” and “Letters from Gardner”, both published in 2014.

A Massachusetts native, Antonelli moved to Texas in 1985 and is married to Dallas native Patricia (Randolph) Antonelli. They have three adopted furbaby children, Millie, Sugar and Peltro Antonelli..

He is Managing Editor of The Clarksville (Tx.) Times.

Journalism anniversary

By the way, I just celebrated the 47th anniversary of my start in journalism. I submitted my first newspaper article to the local weekly newspaper, The Billerica (Mass.) News, in November 1969. It was an account of an overnight hike and camping trip by my Boy Scout Troop. I wrote it out by hand and the newspaper published it.

It didn't have a byline and at the next Scout meeting the adult leaders were confused as all heck because no one could figure who wrote it. They were a bit startled when I 'fessed up. I was 12 years old and a Second Class Scout.

My next story had a byline, and I've been at it ever since. I still have the original clipping, too. Here is the text:

"Troop 50 goes hiking

"On November 28, Troop 50, which is sponsored by the First Congregational Church, on Andover Road, held its annual November Hike This year it was held in Buddy style, scouts being assigned to partners, and hiking in two's. The route began at the First Congregational Church, wound around Farmers Lane, ascended up Fox Hill, and went down to the gravel pits off Pond St. Once there, the partners set up separate camps, using large sheets of plastic for shelter.

"All cooking was done without utensils, meaning no pots, pans, knives, forks, etc. At first it seemed hard, but the newer scouts soon got the knack of it.

"After eating breakfast Saturday morning, the scouts broke camp, some hiking back to their homes, others leaving in cars. The trip was well enjoyed by the 20 plus scouts who attended, and they are looking forward to the same trip next year."

Side Note: It was my first overnight camping trip and the weather turned colder than expected - below freezing, in fact. As a result, I received a "Polar Bear" award with my very first scout patch.

I had taken blankets for the camp out, but as a result of the freezing weather my father went to the local Sears and bought the best sleeping bag they had in stock, which I used for the rest of my Scouting career.

In fact, I still have it. It is the literally the oldest personal artifact I own.

I am deeply honored

Well, since I have his explicit permission to quote him, there's no reason not to disclose that it's Larry Niven who's read "Another Girl, Another Planet" and said "I loved it. Brilliant ideas well told."

Look for "Another Girl, Another Planet", coming out soon from WordFire Press.

Some stats on my short fiction:

103 stories published in 13 years.

Four collections: Fantastic Texas, Texas & Other Planets, The Clock Struck None, Letters From Gardner.

Eleven honorable mentions in The Year's Best Science Fiction.

One Sidewise finalist.

One Hugo finalist.

Third Place, Asimov's Readers Poll

One foreign language publication.

First story published in first issue of a pro-rate publication.

Last story accepted by Gardner Dozois before he retired from Asimov's.