Extreme Planets Science Fiction Anthology

[DavidK]

Right after I finished editing Midnight Echo 6 - a science fiction horror anthology, I've gotten myself involved in another. Extreme Planets Anthology. Think carbon planets, exo-planets and Pantropy. It's listed on Ralan, or you can find out more here...

http://www.extremeplanetsanthology.com

Sorry about the obvious plug, but I was thinking that if Brad could write for this one, imagine the time it would free up so that others could get a gig in Analog while he was distracted.

David, who is off to focus on his Q2 story now.

[Martin L. Shoemaker]

Interesting premise for the anthology!

[izanobu]

Hmm, that sounds like an interesting idea. I might have to put a story together for this.

[DavidK]

Interesting premise for the anthology!

Go on, Martin, you know you want to write a new Science Fiction story :)

[DavidK]

Hmm, that sounds like an interesting idea. I might have to put a story together for this.

Yeah. Some talented writers would be good

[Martin L. Shoemaker]

Interesting premise for the anthology!

Go on, Martin, you know you want to write a new Science Fiction story :)

I am intrigued. As I've said often around here, I stick to pro markets; but as I've also said, I can imagine reasons why I might make an exception. You're close to pro paying, you've got an interesting premise, and you've got a track record. (Plus you know how to stroke my ego!) So I'm thinking about it.

Right now -- when I should be writing on my YA SF project -- I'm trying to think of an interesting world design, and trying to think of something I haven't seen done too many times before. And at the same time I have to believe in it, or I'll never make the reader believe in it. AND I have to have a story for it.

So that's a few hurdles I have to jump. But I'm looking at them and calculating the angles...

[ThomasKCarpenter]

I like the premise. I might have to send them a story and $0.03/word is definitely in the range of what I'm willing to work for. :)

[Kary English]

@ Martin - Make it a pulsar planet. :)

[Martin L. Shoemaker]

@ Martin - Make it a pulsar planet. :)

I found a series of 23 articles on Space.com, the weirdest worlds they've reported on recently. The pulsar planets were in there, as well as pretty much all of the examples mentioned in the Extreme Planets guidelines. I won't rule any of those out; but I figure that a lot of people will read the same articles, so using one of those might not be the best way to stand out.

Again while I should be working on my YA SF project (DavidK, you're a bad influence!), I've come up with an idea for a planet design that I think makes sense and that interests me. Now I need to decide if life evolved there, or if it was just colonized. If life did evolve there, is the story about that life, or about humans that encounter it? Or both? And what is the story, exactly?

I do see some action-packed scenes that are a very natural fit for the environment; but they all tend to be cataclysmic. And cataclysm isn't something that life can endure for long stretches. So the cataclysm risk should be toned down.

I have another even more extreme planet design that appeals to me; but I'm not at all sure that life could survive in the environment, much less evolve there. But it gives me a great title!

[Alex Kane]

I will certainly be writing something to submit for this. Themed anthologies make the perfect deadline, and I work best with deadlines.

[AlistairKimble]

I'll add myself to the growing list of people who'll be submitting. What a great idea for an anthology!

[E.CaimanSands]

Congrats, Alistair, on the Finalist place!
I thought I recognised the name, and sure enough, here you are.
Now pop back over to the Q4 thread so everyone else can congratulate you!
And I shall stop derailing this thread.

It's an excellent idea for an anthology in my view.

[Martin L. Shoemaker]

Hmmm... My first design isn't working for me so far. I have trouble believing life could develop there and diversify enough to evolve intelligence. Too bad, because once the intelligent life is there, the planet design itself presents numerous challenges that could serve as story hooks. But those same challenges are precisely why I can't imagine life progressing there. And it's just not as interesting if it's a strange world some humans explore.

Rethinking...

UPDATE: Oh, wait! I just figured it out. Oh, man, what a freaky ecosystem that would be! Now I just have to decide if the physics are plausible.

[MJNL]

Do it, Martin! Doooo it.

I've got a kernel of an idea for this... except it's not exactly a planet...

[WriteToLive]

David...you are inspiring me to finish a story I started last year for this very thing.

[DavidK]

Some great responses

What I can say is that in the event of not being picked up, surely you'd have a great basis or even an excellent story for a WOTF sub as a result, after all it is science fiction. Personally, I still wouldn't put it before your due WOTF sub (but that's just me) 0.3 cents isn't anywhere near the benefit you'd get from WOTF.

[izanobu]

Lucky? for me, I'm out of WotF. Which means I can let planet ideas percolate in my brain for a while and then write something hopefully awesome.

[WriteToLive]

Couple of questions for you, David. If we submit a story and it gets rejected, can we send another story? Also, do you guys take simultaneous / multiple submissions?

[MJNL]

Couple of questions for you, David. If we submit a story and it gets rejected, can we send another story? Also, do you guys take simultaneous / multiple submissions?

*pst* Hey, it's in the guidelines. At least, the second part is for sure.

[WriteToLive]

Ah, didn't see that. I guess I want to know if they're reading the submisions when the deadline closes them or are they actively reading manuscripts right now.

[DavidK]

Ah, didn't see that. I guess I want to know if they're reading the submisions when the deadline closes them or are they actively reading manuscripts right now.

I believe that reading subs before the deadline is happening, and in some cases submitters are invited to resub. Having said that there would be nothing to stop anyone sending in another story once they received a rejection

[DavidK]

Lucky? for me, I'm out of WotF. Which means I can let planet ideas percolate in my brain for a while and then write something hopefully awesome.

An awesome planet story then would be... awesome. Keep percolating

[s_c_baker]

I am coming in late to the game to this thread, but very cool idea. Seeing that it's sponsored by Chaosium makes me very nerdy, too. I mean, excited.
One small typo in your CFP:

Do human’s adapt the environment to suit their needs, such as through terraforming, or do they change their own bodies to survive, such as through pantropy or cybernetic enhancement.

[DavidK]

I am coming in late to the game to this thread, but very cool idea. Seeing that it's sponsored by Chaosium makes me very nerdy, too. I mean, excited.
One small typo in your CFP:

Do human’s adapt the environment to suit their needs, such as through terraforming, or do they change their own bodies to survive, such as through pantropy or cybernetic enhancement.

No, not at all - that was deliberate to see if anyone bothered to read it!

[s_c_baker]

I am coming in late to the game to this thread, but very cool idea. Seeing that it's sponsored by Chaosium makes me very nerdy, too. I mean, excited.
One small typo in your CFP:

Do human’s adapt the environment to suit their needs, such as through terraforming, or do they change their own bodies to survive, such as through pantropy or cybernetic enhancement.

No, not at all - that was deliberate to see if anyone bothered to read it!

That means I pass the test, and anything I submit will go straight into the anthology, right? ... Right!?

[WriteToLive]

SC, I count two errors, not one.

Looks like I'm joining ya in the antho, then...right?