My run for the SFWA board - by Lou Antonelli

I’ve been a member of the SFWA off and on since 2006. I qualified as an associate member in 2005 after my story “A Rocket for the Republic” was published in Asimov’s Science Fiction. I had my third pro short story sale, “Great White Ship” in 2012 in Daily Science Fiction and qualified for full membership.

I say I’ve been a member off and on because there have been a couple of times I’ve let my membership lapse because money was tight.

I tried running for Vice President in 2013, but the hatred and animosity directed towards me was so great that I dropped my campaign after a week. I never said anything about quitting because I would have been mocked over that, too.

I thought to run for President last year, but I was told the rules now state that you cannot run as an officer unless you have been a director first, and you cannot run for a director unless you have been a member in good standing for at least two years. Because of a recent lapse in my dues, I was ineligible to run.

It seems as time goes by the rules for joining the clique running the SFWA racket get tighter and tighter.

This year I was eligible to run, but I didn’t bother. But when the ballot was sent to members, lo and behold, they didn’t even have enough candidates to fill all positions. There was only one name on the ballot for two two-year posts as a director at large.

I saw that, and reasoned, why not seek votes as a write-in? And so I did.

As would be expected, it took a very short time for the traditional lynch mob to attack, led by a no-talent political correctness enforcer named Tempest Bradford. For a week there, it was pretty wild.
Things seem to have calmed down. Voting remains open until April 14, but just about everything constructive as well as destructive has been said by now.

One thing that’s occurred to me as a result of this is to reactivate this blog for my many fans. The attacks on my humanly existence by the Khmer Rouge wing of science fiction has only generated sympathy and more friends for me.
The hate and vitriol directed towards me is very illuminating. My enemies must be tremendously privileged. Normal people, who have to work and scrape for a living, know that you often get into arguments and have to deal with disagreeable people.

Indeed, if you check into their background, you'll find many of the usual suspects either hold government jobs or work at universities. They are insulated from the real world.

Mike Glyer, who runs the web site File 770, used to be an auditor for the IRS (he's retired now).

These people act like being different and disagreeing with them is the worst crime imaginable. Also, because of their jobs they have all the time in the world to attack you on-line. It's not like they do anything for a living.

Chumps like me, who are self employed small business people, only have so much time to engage is this bullshit.

The pile-on instigated by Tempest Bradford, however, was so extreme that I thing it began to disgust some people. It's like the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution - even supporters are afraid they will eventually come after them.

The best way to understand it is to know they have combined the worst elements of both the Communist Party and the Nazi Party.

The old fashioned Communist Party under Joe Stalin in the Soviet Union had what was called the "Party Line". The government determined the narrative for all public events and subjects, and you had to repeat or follow it, or you would be arrested or persecuted.

There was even a term for this, "deviationism".

The SFWA is just an organization, a tool as it were, and it can be used for ill or good. It is not responsible as a group for the worst excesses of the politically correct gang.

They are small, tight-knit like-minded bunch who follow very closely the "Party Line" theory. They come up with a bullshit narrative and then enforce it. Stalin used to purge people or have them shot. The s-f crowd uses the blacklist.

The Nazis under Adolph Hitler followed the "Big Lie" theory of propaganda. Repeat the same story enough times and the people will believe it.

So what we have seen here, for the past ten or 15 years, is the usual suspects use the Big Lie and repeat the Party Line to oppress dissidents.

People have complained about some things I have done in the past, where the story is the Party Line repeated in the Big Lie echo chamber. At this point, the racket is wearing thin. Whether you succumb to these obviously ridiculous accusations is essentially an IQ test.

If you believe in these tall tales, you don't have much credibility yourself.

"Something More Than Blood"

Tune into the Debut episode of Reverie Radio for a conversation with host Lori Hays and author Barb Lien-Cooper about her novel Something More Than Blood. Learn about her different take on Vampires, crafting a novel typically written by the male persuasion and developing relatable characters who go against the "typical" criteria.

Barbara Lien writes with Park Cooper at their creative studio Wicker Man Studios, and together they have written comic books and graphic novels, including Half Dead, a creator-owned vampire graphic novel that was published jointly by Marvel Comics and Dabel Brothers Productions.

The first volume of her digital comic Gun Street Girl, drawn by Ryan Howe, was recently published by Bedazzled Ink. While co-writing a manga project for Tokyopop shortly before that company's exit from the field, Barbara and Park switched also editing and adapting manga, such as V.B. Rose for Tokyopop, Nora for Viz Media, and many, many more.

Most recently, Barb and Park started writing prose novels and stories, including Something More Than Blood, published by independent publisher Black Curtain Press.

Listen here:

Welcome!

Welcome to the newest member of SASS, Lawrence Buentello of San Antonio.

The SASS panel

Lou Antonelli, Scott Cupp, Bill Crider and Rie Sheridan Rose
Photo by John Husisian

The panel on SASS that was held at ArmadilloCon on Saturday, July 26, was the first event of its kind. I thought I’d take a few minutes to put down a report from what I recall. I didn’t take any notes at the time, I concentrated on participating in the panel.

The convention was held at the Austin Omni Southpark Hotel; this panel was held at 5 PM Saturday in the conference center. I would estimate they were about 15 members of the audience. The panelists were Scott Cupp, Bill Crider, Rie Sheridan Rose and myself. There were two members of SASS in the audience, Stony Compton and John Husisian.

We had free copies of “Rebel Moon” graciously donated by co-author Bruce Bethke to hand out to all participants.

Scott was the moderator and after allowing us introduce ourselves he explained what he found especially attractive with the organization was the support and member mentorship it offers.

Panelists didn’t really want to mention any other writers groups, but the pro group SFWA was hard to avoid. Scott specifically mentioned how sometime in the past he had looked into joining the SFWA and despite mentioning his publishing credits and honors, was basically told “we’ll get back to you.” He decided after that kind of interaction he really wasn’t interested in becoming a member.

Scott’s comments brought up the topic of snobbery which was a hard subject hard to avoid in the context.
I told how I ran for an SFWA office and was attacked because in my biography I referred to my dogs as my adopted “Canine American children” and I was accused of being disrespectful to the ethnic identity movement. That got a good laugh from the audience.

I explained my motivation for helping organize the group came from my interaction with professional writers. The SFWA  is an organization really geared towards people who make a living writing, and I simply didn’t feel it’s a good fit for a semi pro like me who has a full-time job and writes on the side.

Although a qualified for full membership in the SFWA couple years ago, I really don’t get much encouragement from it. I said that rather than complaining, I went to do something about it and I helped get together a group that bridges the gap from fans and aspiring writers to pros.

I still belong to the SFWA and so do a number of SASS members; most fighters belong to different groups and get different things from them.

During the introductions, Bill Crider wondered out loud why he be put on the panel — he was the only non-SASS member. But when he understood how the group was formed, he said he “got it”.  He is involved in a group that has a similar outlook for Western genre authors, the “Western Fictioneers”, that also only started a few years ago.

Rie Sheridan Rose explained how enthused she was when she learned about the group because it does not discriminate against self-published authors.

We explained we are interested in all forms of storytelling, and that includes gaming. One member of the audience pointed out that “Rebel Moon” is based on a game. Another audience member noted that we allow horror writers as members.

The panel included a nice-wide ranging discussion on a number of practical subjects, not just specific to SASS.

Audience members asked about workshops and critiquing, and one thing I said was SASS would not be part of the crab bucket affect, which so often afflicts writers groups, where everyone pulls down each other and nobody has any success climbing out of the crab bucket.

We did talk about the recently – floated idea compiling an anthology, and that met with a lot of approval. Crider said the Western Fictioneers have done that and it has proven to be so successful they don’t  even have to charge dues any more because they are making so much money from the anthologies.

Unfortunately, because of the way I had to rush to get to the convention – I worked until 2 a.m. that morning and drove to Austin starting at 7 a.m. – I didn’t have a chance to run any SASS literature off to hand out.

- By Lou Antonelli
Secretary, SASS

SASS panel at ArmadilloCon

SASS panel at ArmadilloCon

The SASS panel at Austin's Armadillcon has been moved to Saturday, July 26 (it was originally set for Friday).. Here is the program listing:

Sa1700CC SASS
Sat 5:00 PM-6:00 PM Conference Center
Cupp*, Antonelli, Crider, Sheridan Rose

The panel description is as follows:

"The Society for the Advancement of Speculative Fiction (SASS) is a non-profit group out of Denton dedicated to encouraging and mentoring aspiring and new authors of speculative fiction."

This will be the first panel ever held about SASS at a convention.

Welcome!

SASS welcomes its newest member, John Husisian of Spring, Texas!

SASS panel at ArmadilloCon 36

ArmadillonCon 36, being held in Austin July 25-27, will feature the first-ever convention panel about SASS. It will be held Friday night from 8-9 p.m.

The panel description is as follows:

"The Society for the Advancement of Speculative Fiction (SASS) is a non-profit group out of Denton dedicated to encouraging and mentoring aspiring and new authors of speculative fiction."

Scott Cupp will be the moderator. Panelists will be Lou Antonelli, Bill Crider and Rie Sheridan Rose. All except Crider are SASS members.

Praise for SASS member's collection

The Reference Library column by Don Sakers in the upcoming July-August double issue of Analog focuses on short fiction, specifically collections and anthologies, and he has high praise for "The Clock Struck None" by Lou Antonellli (Secretary of SASS):

"It’s possible that you haven’t run into the stories of Lou Antonelli. Since 2003, he’s been publishing delightful short tales of alternate history all over the nooks and crannies of the SF world. Thanks to Fantastic Books, we now have 28 of these little gems in one place.

 "Many of Antonelli’s stories have an unexpected twist ending. And many of them are what he calls “secret history” stories, which aren’t exactly alternate history—they’re set in our familiar history, but there’s always some element that contemporary observers missed. For example, take the time travelers in “Meet Me at the Grassy Knoll.”

 "As for alternate history, well, one of the included stories, “Great White Ship,” was a finalist for the 2013 Sidewise Award, which is given for outstanding works in the field of alternate history. In “Pirates of the Ozarks” the New Madrid earthquake of 1812 turned the Great Plains into a new sea. “The Starship Theodora” posits a universe in which a Christianized Roman Empire conquered the stars."

Pittman-Hassett published in On Spec

SASS Treasurer Shedrick-Pittman Hassett has been published in the Spring 2014 issue of the Canadian speculative fiction magazine, On Spec. It is his first professional publication. "Gauntlet" took third place in the FenCon short story contest in 2010. It is the story of a freelance courier in a post-apocalyptic landscape making a very dangerous delivery.

Torgersen gets two Hugo nominations

Congratulations to SASS Vice-President Brad Torgersen, nominated by the World Science Fiction Convention in two categories for the Hugo awards:

Best Novelette: “The Exchange Officers" (Analog, Jan-Feb 2013)

Best Novella: “The Chaplain’s Legacy”, (Analog, Jul-Aug 2013)

The winners will be announced at the World Science Fiction Convention, LonCon 3 in London August 17, 2014.

The Pillars of Salem

SASS member Harold Carper has published a short story on Wattpad. Feedback would be appreciated:

Burstein named president of SASS

Distinguished science fiction author Michael A. Burstein has taken office as the first permanent president of the Society for the Advancement of Speculative Storytelling, Inc. (SASS), as of Jan. 1, 2014.

SASS was incorporated as a non-profit group in the State of Texas on July 30, 2012. It is dedicated to encouraging and mentoring aspiring and new writers of speculative fiction. In so doing, its activities shall include, but not be limited to, keeping its members informed of issues within the field, providing avenues of constructive critique and collegial discussion for its members, and encouraging interest and appreciation for all aspects of speculative fiction in multiple media.

SASS expressly disavows any socio-political goals while asserting the right of its members to discuss and explore any and subjects in speculative fiction writing. Members are expected to be respectful of each other at all times.

Burstein leads a nine-member Board of Directors, including Vice-President Brad Torgersen, Secretary Lou Antonelli, Treasurer Shedrick Pittman-Hassett, and members at large Bruce Bethke, Dario Ciriello, Park Cooper, Liz Burton and Rie Sheridan Rose.

The group's web page is:
http://www.sasswritersgroup.blogspot.com/

Its Facebook page is:
https://www.facebook.com/SocietyForTheAdvancementOfSpeculativeStorytelling

#

Information on the members of the SASS Board of Directors follows:

President - Michael A. Burstein, Brookline, Massachusetts
Michael A. Burstein is a multiple Hugo and Nebula nominee, a former Secretary of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA), and a former Vice-President of the New England Science Fiction Association(NESFA) . His  first published story, "TeleAbsence," appeared in the July 1995 issue of Analog, and was nominated for the Hugo Award.  Burstein won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer at the 1997 World Science Fiction Convention.

Vice President - Brad Torgersen, Sunset, Utah
Brad R. Torgersen was a winner in the 2009 Writers of the Future contest, and has been published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact and InterGalactic Medicine Show. His 2010 novelette "Outbound" won the Analog reader's poll, and his 2011 novelette "Ray of Light" was nominated for both the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award. He was nominee for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2012.

Secretary - Lou Antonelli, Mount Pleasant, Texas
Louis S. Antonelli's first short story, "A Rocket for the Republic", was the last story bought by Gardner Dozois before he retired after 19 years as editor of Asimov's Science Fiction. He has published 81short stories since 2003 in magazines in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and India. His time storm story, "Great White Ship", published by Daily Science Fiction in 2012, was a finalist for the Sidewise Award in alternate history.

Treasurer - Shedrick Pittman-Hassett, Denton, Texas
Shedrick Pittman-Hassett is a professional librarian and has had several pieces published in professional journals. An aspiring speculative fiction writer, he has received honorable mentions in a number of writing competitions, including Writers of the Future. He is also an avid gamer and has had two pieces published in the award-winning Knights of the Dinner Table magazine.

Board members-at-large:

Bruce Bethke - Oakdale, Minnesota:  Publisher of Stupefying Stories

Liz Burton - Austin, Texas:  Executive Editor of Zumaya Publications

Dario Ciriello – San Francisco, California:  Editor and Publisher, Panverse Publishing

Park Cooper - Austin, Texas:  Writer of prose and graphic novels, co-owner of Wicker Man Studios

Rie Sheridan Rose -- Austin, Texas:  Small press author and lyricist

It's book bomb time for "Raygun Chronicles"!

It's book bomb time for the brilliant new Space Opera anthology "Raygun Chronicles: Space Opera For a New Age". It's release day was Tuesday, Dec. 3, so this is the first weekend you can log onto Amazon and buy your copy here:

If you haven't read about it already, here is the cover blurb:

"A school teacher who moonlights as an assassin, a corporate agent kidnapped and faced with a man she never wanted to see again, galactic knights and pilots defending the spaceways, a black bear who wants to be a priest, and a time traveler who discovers he was born a prince - these and more tales await you inside "Raygun Chronicles: Space Opera For a New Age", a collection of new tales in the Golden Age style.

"With larger than life heroes, rayguns, space ships, robots, pirates, romance and more, here come 25 new tales of great fiction from top names like Seanan McGuire, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, A.C. Crispin, Allen M. Steele, Mike Resnick, David Farland and more. Strap in, set your weapons, and get ready for a fun ride!"

My contribution is a reprint of a story that was originally published in Raygun Revival in 2009. Writing on the Amazing Stories blog, reviewer Keith West said:

"Lou Antonelli is a northerner who lives in Texas these days and mines the history and folklore of his adopted state for his fiction, fiction that’s unique and unlike anything being written by anyone else. In “The Silver Dollar Saucer” he takes a couple of two bit desperadoes on a flying saucer ride."

Other reviewers report:

"RAYGUN CHRONICLES breathes supercharged life into the space opera genre with exciting and inventive new tales by a superb line-up of writers. This is why science fiction will live forever!"--Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of "Patient Zero".

"RAYGUN CHRONICLES is an impressive anthology with an impressive list of contributors, a real showcase of the color and scope of what science fiction can be."--Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of the "Saga of Seven Suns".

"Wonder, adventure, romance, humor-space opera delivers all of these, and this anthology brings together some of the finest talent in the business. Strange new worlds await. So lower your shields, engage your thrusters, and prepare to jump to warp speed!" -- Dave Wolverton, New York Times bestselling author of "Star Wars: The Courtship of Prince Leia".

"These stories bring the reader back to the days when we dreamt of blasters and flying cars. Golden age space opera fun with a strong Western feel." -- Alex Shvartsman, Editor "Unidentified Funny Objects".

Latest member publication

SASS member Michael Ashleigh Finn's short story "Sign of the Times" has been published in the anthology "Dirty Magick: Los Angeles" released on Kindle Nov. 15 by Lucky Mojo Press.

"Many practice the art, but the bands of rogues who stalk the city with profit and power as their only motive use the magic as it was never intended. “Dirty Magick: Los Angeles” is the new urban fantasy anthology from Lucky Mojo Press.

"Focusing on the intersection of two genres (fantasy and detective/crime), this collection highlights the place where magic survives and flourishes in the concrete heartbeat of Hollywood. Here are the ne'er-do-wells who use magic to commit crime and the hard boiled wizards who would stop them."

Michael's story  focuses on Nikolas Wormwood, a private consultant having to deal with grifter that appears to have been possessed by an Indian Mara demon in 1940's Hollywood.

You can order the anthology here:

Latest member publication

The British mag Fevered Dreams has just come out with its Issue No. 3, which features Lou Antonelli's story "The Stinky Men". This is the story he wrote on a Smith Corona Classic 12 portable typewriter in the Dealers Room at ArmadilloCon in Austin in 2011.

This story is a blatant homage to Howard Waldrop's "The Ugly Chickens" and in fact an alternate universe version of Howard appears as "Professor Waldrup" from the anthropology department of the University of Texas.

You can download a free PDF of this issue, all 99 pages, here.

This is Antonelli'ssixth story published this year, his 81st since 20
03.

Member News

SASS Secretary Lou Antonelli was a finalist for this year's Sidewise Award for alternate history. The award presentation was done at noon Saturday, Aug. 31, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio at Lone Star Con 3, the 71st annual world science fiction convention. Sidewise winner Rick Wilber is shown with his award, flanked by Antonelli and fellow finalist Cat Valente.

Member news

Issued this spring in its Kindle edition, the Song Stories anthology is now available as a paperback.

It features a short story by Lou Antonelli, "Hearts Made of Stone", set in the Freedom Rider Era of the Civil Rights movement in East Texas.

These Song Stories are stories from across the globe, from across the genre spectrum, unified by the inspiration of song. A lyricist has the immense challenge of capturing an entire story in a handful of verses Some melodies convey a story without a single word. What stories might have arisen if the lyricists and composers chose to share their stories in a different medium? Sit back, relax, and spend some time with an old friend, or find a new one.

Member news

SASS Vice President Brad Torgerson has his first collection coming out soon. Here is the table of contents:

“Outbound” (Analog, Nov 2010)
“Gemini 17″ (Jim Baen Memorial Contest anthology, Baen Books, 2015)
“Influences: Allan Cole & Chris Bunch”
“The Bullfrog Radio Astronomy Project” (Analog, Oct 2011)
“Exiles of Eden” (Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, Issue #22)
“Writer Dad: Mike Resnick”
“Footprints” (Licton Springs Review, 2002)
“The Exchange Officers” (Analog, Feb/Mar 2013)
“Essay: On the Growth of Fantasy and the Waning of Science Fiction” (Writers of the Future web site)
“The Chaplain’s Assistant” (Analog, Sept 2011)
“The Chaplain’s Legacy” (Analog, Jul/Aug 2013)
“The Hero’s Tongue: Larry Niven”
“Exanastasis” (L. Ron Hubbard presents Writers and Illustrators of the Future, XXVI)
“Ray of Light” (Analog, Dec 2011)
“Denouement”

The book contains also contains introductions by Stanley Schmidt, Mike Resnick and Allan Cole.

About the collection, Brad says: "Included in the book are a lot of personal comments on each of the stories, as well as thoughts and musings about writing, my friends and mentors in the business, and so forth. This book should be rolling of the press in time for SLC ComiCon 2013, in September."

The artwork is by Hugo winner Bob Eggleton\.

Statement on the expulsion of a member by another writers' organization

In response to requests for comments regarding the decision of another writers' group to formally expel a lifetime member, SASS Secretary and spokesman Lou Antonelli makes the following statement:

"Although the subject in question was exercising his free speech rights under the First Amendment to the US Constitution, that has nothing to do with the standards of conduct and behavior within a private organization

"Like any private club, the organization in question is allowed to police its membership according to its regulations and bylaws. This is an internal discipline issue and not a matter of concern to the Society for the Advancement of Speculative Storytelling.

"The by-laws of the Society for the Advancement of Speculative Storytelling clearly state that members should not discuss religion or politics within its auspices, and its members are expected to treat each other with respect. Those are our bylaws, and each group operates according to its own bylaws and policies.

"It might be useful to note - especially for non US citizens - that because of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, and its free speech guarantees, there is no professional licensing or certification of any communication media in this country. There is no such thing as a licensed journalist, there is no certifying group for authors or writers. SASS, as well as similar groups, are private and voluntary by nature, regardless of reputation and/or behavior. This is not the same in all countries.

"Like many authors, I belong to more than one writer's organization. Which group you join or belong to is a personal decision, and how any group takes care of its own is a private matter."

(The Society for the Advancement of Speculative Storytelling, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and mentoring aspiring and new writers of speculative fiction. SASS was incorporated as a non-profit group in the State of Texas on July 30, 2012. Members of SASS have been nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, Campbell, Sidewise, Prometheus, British Science Fiction Association, and Rhysling Awards, and won the Writers of the Future and the Philip K. Dick Award.)

Interview with Park Cooper

From the web site Nerd Titan, and interview by Steve Saunders:

"We caught up with writer Park Cooper, recently, about his latest offering coming up from Angry Viking Press, the rollicking, rockerboy-murdering, zombietech cyberpunk thrill-ride SWIPE.

"Do you like Heavy Metal? The comics magazine, I mean– but the music helps, too. Are you like me , wishing that there was more cyberpunk, Blade-Runnery fiction out there… while you watch a bunch of drunken medieval twits assassinate and have sex with one another? (Not that I mind, mind… I love that stuff.)

"Anyhow, I shot Park a few questions. Here’s what went down."
To read the interview, click here: