mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #14. "Sabine Baring-Gould and the Werewolf" by Roy C. Booth

Roy Booth gleefully calls himself a "literary mercenary" and you really can't argue with him. He writes fiction, scripts, plays, non-fic, and does a little script-doctoring, as well as running a comic shop. A mainstay at local conventions and the consummate networker, Roy can make his business cards appear from thin air. His no nonsense, business-like attitude toward writing makes him one of my favorite people to talk with at conventions.

I chose "Sabine Baring-Gould and the Werewolf" because of the style. Atmospheric, dark, the fear and dread builds and builds until...well, you'll just have to read to find out. This is old-school throwback horror--the kind that actually scares you instead of grossing you out. The plain, matter-of-fact reporting of the horror by the narrator adds to the feeling of dread.

"Sabine Baring-Gould and the Werewolf" was originally published in Necrotic Tissue #8, October, 2009,

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #13. "Daedalus" by Patrick Sullivan

I've had the pleasure of watching Patrick Sullivan grow as a writer. One of the nicest guys in MinnSpec, Patrick writes hard SF, and I fully expect to see his name on the spine of a book in a brick and mortar store any day.

"Daedalus" is true hard SF, driven by interesting characters. It is also my favorite type of SF, a story about people living and working on a dangerous frontier, trying to make a living, trying to make a life. I also get to say "I discovered Patrick Sullivan" since this is his first sale. Now you get to discover Patrick Sullivan as well.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #13. "Daedalus" by Patrick Sullivan

I've had the pleasure of watching Patrick Sullivan grow as a writer. One of the nicest guys in MinnSpec, Patrick writes hard SF, and I fully expect to see his name on the spine of a book in a brick and mortar store any day.

"Daedalus" is true hard SF, driven by interesting characters. It is also my favorite type of SF, a story about people living and working on a dangerous frontier, trying to make a living, trying to make a life. I also get to say "I discovered Patrick Sullivan" since this is his first sale. Now you get to discover Patrick Sullivan as well.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #12. "At The Edge of Twilight, Melissa Remembers Flight" by Michael Merriam

I was not going to place one of my own stories in the anthology, since I was handling editorial duties. Several members of MinnSpec protested when they found out, pointing out that I'm a founding member of the group and have sold over 60 pieces of short fiction. I talked it over with the publisher and we came to this decision: I would select all the stories I wanted for the anthology. If that filled the word count requirement, it was closed. If there was room for another story, I would send my selection to the publisher (who also edits several magazines) and he would make the final decision as to whether my story was included or not. That's what I did and here we are.

This is one of my very favorite stories of my own, and I might never have written it if [livejournal.com profile] xjenavivex had not asked. It was supposed to fit the theme of imprisonment. I decided I wanted it to come from within the character, in this case a body that failed and what it means for the character.

"At The Edge of Twilight, Melissa Remembers Flight" was originally published online at Three Crow Press, August 2009

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #12. "At The Edge of Twilight, Melissa Remembers Flight" by Michael Merriam

I was not going to place one of my own stories in the anthology, since I was handling editorial duties. Several members of MinnSpec protested when they found out, pointing out that I'm a founding member of the group and have sold over 60 pieces of short fiction. I talked it over with the publisher and we came to this decision: I would select all the stories I wanted for the anthology. If that filled the word count requirement, it was closed. If there was room for another story, I would send my selection to the publisher (who also edits several magazines) and he would make the final decision as to whether my story was included or not. That's what I did and here we are.

This is one of my very favorite stories of my own, and I might never have written it if [livejournal.com profile] xjenavivex had not asked. It was supposed to fit the theme of imprisonment. I decided I wanted it to come from within the character, in this case a body that failed and what it means for the character.

"At The Edge of Twilight, Melissa Remembers Flight" was originally published online at Three Crow Press, August 2009

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #11. "Can't Stop, Won't" by Carrie Devall

I've never met Carrie Devall in person. It seems odd, since we've been in MinnSpec together for a long time, but there you have it. Since I didn't have a personal story, I went out and found this:

Carrie Devall writes science fiction and fantasy short stories as well as literary fiction and poetry, and attended the Clarion West speculative fiction workshop in 2007. She won first prize in the 2010 Odyssey Con Speculative Fiction Contest, and her poem "Highsmith" made the short list in the Chroma Magazine Fall 2009 queer literary competition. Her book reviews and essays have appeared in the blog and newsletter of Aqueduct Press, a feminist science fiction publisher. After spending her formative years as a rowdy queer, anti-racist, and AIDS activist, she has practiced public interest law in San Francisco, Tucson, and the Twin Cities.
--- http://www.hamline.edu/gls/about_us/queervoices.html

"Can't Stop, Won't" is the shortest story in the anthology. Yes, I purposely put it after the longest story to give the reader a break. It is also one of the quirkiest stories, and I think a fine example of good, tight writing. With a fully realized science fiction setting and a character you care about quickly, "Can't Stop, Won't" packs a lot of story into a mere 500 words.

"Can't Stop, Won't" was the 2010 Odyssey Con Speculative Fiction Contest Winner: Adult Division, and was originally published at www.oddcon.com/stories.html, March 2010.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #11. "Can't Stop, Won't" by Carrie Devall

I've never met Carrie Devall in person. It seems odd, since we've been in MinnSpec together for a long time, but there you have it. Since I didn't have a personal story, I went out and found this:

Carrie Devall writes science fiction and fantasy short stories as well as literary fiction and poetry, and attended the Clarion West speculative fiction workshop in 2007. She won first prize in the 2010 Odyssey Con Speculative Fiction Contest, and her poem "Highsmith" made the short list in the Chroma Magazine Fall 2009 queer literary competition. Her book reviews and essays have appeared in the blog and newsletter of Aqueduct Press, a feminist science fiction publisher. After spending her formative years as a rowdy queer, anti-racist, and AIDS activist, she has practiced public interest law in San Francisco, Tucson, and the Twin Cities.
--- http://www.hamline.edu/gls/about_us/queervoices.html

"Can't Stop, Won't" is the shortest story in the anthology. Yes, I purposely put it after the longest story to give the reader a break. It is also one of the quirkiest stories, and I think a fine example of good, tight writing. With a fully realized science fiction setting and a character you care about quickly, "Can't Stop, Won't" packs a lot of story into a mere 500 words.

"Can't Stop, Won't" was the 2010 Odyssey Con Speculative Fiction Contest Winner: Adult Division, and was originally published at www.oddcon.com/stories.html, March 2010.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #10. "Bright, Bright City Lights" by Lyda Morehouse

So I was on this panel at Minicon a few years ago with Lyda Morehouse about the magic of the Twin Cities and how the two cities have different feels and how to use those feels in fiction. The panelists talked about how the magic of the cities would be different and as living characters in their own right--though twins--they have different personalities. I loved this conversation, because I use my adopted home in my fiction a lot, and they are characters in their own right. While the other panelists were great and the panel as a whole was one the best I’ve been on, it was Lyda who stuck out for her enthusiasm for the subject and idea.

Given that, there was no way I was not going to publish "Bright, Bright City Lights," despite the fact that it was way over my word limit. This is a classic case of the writer having hit the editor with exactly the right story. That it is a wonderful, sorrowful story about loss and trying to find meaning in that loss set against a living City of St. Paul, well, I couldn't resist.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #10. "Bright, Bright City Lights" by Lyda Morehouse

So I was on this panel at Minicon a few years ago with Lyda Morehouse about the magic of the Twin Cities and how the two cities have different feels and how to use those feels in fiction. The panelists talked about how the magic of the cities would be different and as living characters in their own right--though twins--they have different personalities. I loved this conversation, because I use my adopted home in my fiction a lot, and they are characters in their own right. While the other panelists were great and the panel as a whole was one the best I’ve been on, it was Lyda who stuck out for her enthusiasm for the subject and idea.

Given that, there was no way I was not going to publish "Bright, Bright City Lights," despite the fact that it was way over my word limit. This is a classic case of the writer having hit the editor with exactly the right story. That it is a wonderful, sorrowful story about loss and tying to find meaning in that loss set against a living City of St. Paul, well, I couldn't resist.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #9. "Guess Who's Coming to Gotterdammerung" by Terry Faust

Let me tell you a little secret about Terry Faust. He's never met a punchline he didn't like. Which means it is a good thing that Terry is funny, because otherwise, well… I've know Terry for a long time now. He's a regular at MinnSpec, has been our official photographer and is currently handling setting up the monthly meetings. We tentatively talked about doing a couple of projects together (including this anthology), though we haven't managed to get anything in place.

I wanted one outrageously over-the-top piece of comedy for this anthology, because I knew I had at least three people in the group who could write comedy. I also knew I was only going to pick one comedy piece (though other stories might have humor in them). "Guess Who's Coming to Gotterdammerung" is just…well…it's wacky.

"Guess Who's Coming to Gotterdammerung" was originally published in Tales of the Unanticipated #30 in February, 2010

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #9. "Guess Who's Coming to Gotterdammerung" by Terry Faust

Let me tell you a little secret about Terry Faust. He's never met a punchline he didn't like. Which means it is a good thing that Terry is funny, because otherwise, well… I've know Terry for a long time now. He's a regular at MinnSpec, has been our official photographer and is currently handling setting up the monthly meetings. We tentatively talked about doing a couple of projects together (including this anthology), though we haven't managed to get anything in place.

I wanted one outrageously over-the-top piece of comedy for this anthology, because I knew I had at least three people in the group who could write comedy. I also knew I was only going to pick one comedy piece (though other stories might have humor in them). "Guess Who's Coming to Gotterdammerung" is just…well…it's wacky.

"Guess Who's Coming to Gotterdammerung" was originally published in Tales of the Unanticipated #30 in February, 2010

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #8. "Garbage Man" by R. Scott McCoy

R. Scott McCoy edits one of the best new emerging magazines in the field of horror, Necrotic Tissue. The nice thing is, his sensibilities about horror are close to mine: we want to be frightened, not grossed out. I've sat on many panels and had more than a few discussion with him, and I always walk away having learned something new about publishing.

"Garbage Man" was a hard sell for me, simply because horror was going to be a hard sell for both me and the publisher. This story is the kind of horror that creeps up on you, even though you think you can see it coming. Understated, dark, written with an economy of words, I wish more horror was of this type and caliber.

"Garbage Man" was originally published in The New Bedlam Project #1, July 2009.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #8. "Garbage Man" by R. Scott McCoy

R. Scott McCoy edits one of the best new emerging magazines in the field of horror, Necrotic Tissue. The nice thing is, his sensibilities about horror are close to mine: we want to be frightened, not grossed out. I've sat on many panels and had more than a few discussion with him, and I always walk away having learned something new about publishing.

"Garbage Man" was a hard sell for me, simply because horror was going to be a hard sell for both me and the publisher. This story is the kind of horror that creeps up on you, even though you think you can see it coming. Understated, dark, written with an economy of words, I wish more horror was of this type and caliber.

"Garbage Man" was originally published in The New Bedlam Project #1, July 2009.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #7. "Dinosaurs of the Great Depression" by Damian Sheridan

Damian has been a MinnSpec member for a long time, and has been active at meetings and with our convention programming. I've had the pleasure to be on panels with him and to take part in readings with him. One of our members who takes a more interdisciplinary track to his artistic career, Damian writes fiction, comics, plays, creates artwork, and probably other things I don't know about.

"Dinosaurs of the Great Depression" is told like verbal storytelling. It was nice change up and such a strong piece that I knew I wanted it, I just wasn't sure where it would fit in the line up of stories. I finally found a spot where it worked as both a style and length change, giving the reader a bit of a break. A sad tale filled with subtle nobility, I am pleased to present it here.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #7. "Dinosaurs of the Great Depression" by Damian Sheridan

Damian has been a MinnSpec member for a long time, and has been active at meetings and with our convention programming. I've had the pleasure to be on panels with him and to take part in readings with him. One of our members who takes a more interdisciplinary track to his artistic career, Damian writes fiction, comics, plays, creates artwork, and probably other things I don't know about.

"Dinosaurs of the Great Depression" is told like verbal storytelling. It was nice change up and such a strong piece that I knew I wanted it, I just wasn't sure where it would fit in the line up of stories. I finally found a spot where it worked as both a style and length change, giving the reader a bit of a break. A sad tale filled with subtle nobility, I am pleased to present it here.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #6. "The Leviathan’s Teeth" by Kelly Barnhill

My first memory of Kelly Barnhill has nothing to do with actually meeting Kelly Barnhill. Hilary Moon Murphy was gushing about a story Kelly had written, so I went to see what all the fuss was about and was stopped cold by the talent of this writer. I was stopped cold again and stunned into silence when we did a reading together at Wiscon. I am thankful I went before Kelly, because not only can she write a hell of tale, she can read it in a way to make you feel like you are inside the story. There is no way I would have wanted to follow her.

"The Leviathan’s Teeth" is a gorgeous, atmospheric tale, the kind that gets under you skin without you realizing it, until you find yourself thinking about it days later. Let yourself be drawn in by the lush prose, but he warned: Darkness lurks here and will settle into your bones.

"The Leviathan’s Teeth" was originally published in Polluto #5, Autumn 2009

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #6. "The Leviathan’s Teeth" by Kelly Barnhill

My first memory of Kelly Barnhill has nothing to do with actually meeting Kelly Barnhill. Hilary Moon Murphy was gushing about a story Kelly had written, so I went to see what all the fuss was about and was stopped cold by the talent of this writer. I was stopped cold again and stunned into silence when we did a reading together at Wiscon. I am thankful I went before Kelly, because not only can she write a hell of tale, she can read it in a way to make you feel like you are inside the story. There is no way I would have wanted to follow her.

"The Leviathan’s Teeth" is a gorgeous, atmospheric tale, the kind that gets under you skin without you realizing it, until you find yourself thinking about it days later. Let yourself be drawn in by the lush prose, but he warned: Darkness lurks here and will settle into your bones.

"The Leviathan’s Teeth" was originally published in Polluto #5, Autumn 2009

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #5. "The Disconnected" by David Steffen

I first met David at Minicon 45, and shortly after he joined MinnSpec. I've liked what fiction I've read of his and I've enjoyed his blog posts and interactions with MinnSpec on the message boards. I hope to get to know him better in the future.

What I can tell you is this: David can write a fine story. I was hoping to get some strong science fiction for the anthology, and this story fit the bill perfectly. "The Disconnected" is a frightening -- and frankly too plausible -- look into our future. Don't let that get you down, there is hope here, along with joy and beauty. Treat it as a bit of a cautionary tale.

"The Disconnected" was originally published in podcast format at Pseudopod, Episode 169, November 2009.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #5. "The Disconnected" by David Steffen

I first met David at Minicon 45, and shortly after he joined MinnSpec. I've liked what fiction I've read of his and I've enjoyed his blog posts and interactions with MinnSpec on the message boards. I hope to get to know him better in the future.

What I can tell you is this: David can write a fine story. I was hoping to get some strong science fiction for the anthology, and this story fit the bill perfectly. "The Disconnected" is a frightening -- and frankly too plausible -- look into our future. Don't let that get you down, there is hope here, along with joy and beauty. Treat it as a bit of a cautionary tale.

"The Disconnected" was originally published in podcast format at Pseudopod, Episode 169, November 2009.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

mmerriam: (Type)
Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #4. "Come and Catch Me, Henry" by Jason D. Wittman

Jason D. Wittman has been with MinnSpec since our first meeting back in 2004. A mainstay of the group, he is our movie Czar -- planning and organizing group movie night -- and a game designer as well as a fine writer. Knowledgeable about books, movies, chess, Poe, Lovecraft, writing, and any number of other things, Jason is always great to sit and have a conversation with. A strong reading voice rounds out the package.

"Come and Catch Me, Henry" shows Jason's ability to write with a Victorian aesthetic. In style it reminds me of the best horror and fantasy authors of the late 19th and early 20th century. I loved the slow build to a crashing crescendo, loved trying to divine the mystery. Well-drawn characters and an intriguing premised make for an enjoyable story that will leave you creeped out.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

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