MY YEAR IN REVIEW
To my surprise, several people have asked if I intend to blog about what I’ve had published in 2016. Well, alrighty then, since a few of you asked …
Diamond Jim and the Dinosaurs– This novelette (3rd in the series) appeared in the April issue of Analog. Not only am I rather fond of it, but I’m also totally in love with the Bob Eggleton dinosaur cover on the magazine.
Not With A Bang-My first time travel story featuring Marty and Julianna was reprinted in the anthology Time Travel Tales.
Dino Mate – The sequel to Not With a Bang was reprinted in Ctrl Alt Delight.
Zombie Limbo Master – My sole zombie story was reprinted in Quickfic Anthology 1.
Our Right, Our Duty, Our Privilege was the March Analog guest editorial.
On the Money: Scientist of Inventor Wanted – This guest editorial appeared in the November issue of Analog.
All in all, this hasn’t been a bad year by any means. In fact, it’s been a better year for me than this list might lead one to suppose. The reason I say this has to do with several things I’ve written that will be unveiled next year.
Time Travel Tales Anthology
Calling all lovers of stories about slipping into the past, seeing living dinosaurs, getting a do-over for a crucial event, saving the future, and wrestling with the paradoxes of time travel: Check out this wonderful anthology of 20 time travel tales. Editor Zach Chapman has done a terrific job of assembling an entertaining collection of remarkable stories by Robert Silverberg among others.
It includes my very first story of the time travel adventures of Marty Zuber, “Not with a Bang,” which was first published in Analog. You’ll learn the real reason the dinosaurs went extinct.
DINO MATE IS BACK IN PRINT
For everyone who can’t get enough of my dinosaur stories, I’m pleased to announce that the terrific folks at Digital Science Fiction have reprinted my stand-alone story Dino Mate. It features Marty and Julianna, the intrepid time travelers of “Not with a Bang” and “Diamond Jim and the Dinosaurs.” But the real stars are the Jurassic kentrosauruses, those fantastical creatures sporting spikes along their tails and the plates of a stegosaurus. They’re a little-known African dinosaur discovered over a hundred years ago in what was then German East Africa.
I hope you’ll give it a read.
DIAMOND JIM AND THE DINOSAURS
One of my favorite protagonists, Marty Zuber, returns to the pages of Analog (April 2016) to discover that the slipperiest of creatures may not be a Cretaceous dinosaur but rather is Diamond Jim, a fellow time traveler. Worse yet, Diamond Jim has teamed up with Marty’s rival, Derek Dill. The story is set in Antarctica. Yes indeed, our southernmost continent teemed with all manner of dinosaurs, to say nothing of other exotic critters. The April issue of Analog should go on sale any day now. I hope you’ll continue to follow Marty’s Mesozoic adventures with Julianna, which began in “Not With a Bang,” (Analog, July/August 2013) and continued in “Dino Mate” (Analog, December 2014). If you missed those earlier stories, you can still obtain single issues. Also, check back later as I’ll have more news on where you can read about Marty, Julianna, and Mesozoic dinosaurs.
BACK TO THE FUTURE DAY
I’m happy to see one of my favorite time travel movies (the original, not the sequels) getting so much attention today. Not only is it a fun story, but it also happens to be the reason why I named my own time-traveling protagonist “Marty.”
Check out Not With A Bang and Dino Mate. I’m also thrilled to report that there will be another story in my own series coming out next year.
DINO MATE
Wooing that special creature who makes one’s heart beat faster can’t be easy, considering that row of two-foot long spikes running down one’s back and tail. Or if your plan to go time-jumping with the woman of your dreams ends up as a threesome. My latest story—Dino Mate—is a lighthearted look at love in the Jurassic Era. Check out the December 2014 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact for a sequel to my previous story, Not With a Bang.
NEXT ANALOG DINOSAUR STORY
I’m happy to announce that the December issue of Analog will include a story of mine, which features some characters you may have seen before (in Not with a Bang) as they contend with some of my favorite Jurassic dinosaurs, including the Kentrosaurus.
MORE DINOSAUR STORIES
I’m back, faithful blog readers. No I haven’t forsaken you, and I have news. My short story, “Not with a Bang,” made the Tangent Online List of Recommended Stories for 2013. Not only that, but it was a starred story. If you missed it, the story is available in the July/August 2013 issue of Analog Magazine.
You can find Tangent’s complete list here: http://www.tangentonline.com/news-mainmenu-158/2318-tangent-online-2013-recommended-reading-list. I’ve been relying on Tangent’s annual lists for some time now, as I love reading shorter works of science fiction or fantasy. However, it’s easy for me to get overwhelmed by the number of print and on-line publications these days. That isn’t a complaint, but rather an abundance of riches. So, Tangent is a great way to see what my favorite authors wrote that I missed, and to find intriguing fiction by new writers.
Now back to what I really wanted to tell everyone. I’ve been writing several more dinosaur stories using the same characters in the same modern-day and Mesozoic settings as in “Not with a Bang.” Jaws are snapping, claws are catching, and feathers are flying. The intrepid paleontologists are in for some more surprises, and not just from the dinosaurs.
ROSEMARY CLAIRE SMITH 