Cover and Table of Contents for Science Fiction by Scientists

Anthologies, General, News

SF by ScientistsHere is the cover and table of contents for Mike Brotherton’s upcoming collection Science Fiction by Scientists published by Springer, which includes my story “Fixer Upper” about a Chinese expedition to rescue the International Space Station. The book will be available in late November 2016.

Introduction by Mike Brotherton
“Down and Out” by Ken Wharton
“Tree of Life” by Jennifer Rohn
“Supernova Rhythm” by Andrew Fraknoi
“Turing de Force” by Edward M. Lerner
“Neural Alchemist” by Tedd Roberts
“The Schrödinger Brat Paradox” by Carl Frederick
“Upside the Head” by Marissa Lingen
“Betelgeuse” by J. Craig Wheeler
“Sticks and Stones” by Stephanie Osborn
“One for the Conspiracy Theorists” by Jon Richards
“Hidden Variables” by Jed Brody
“Spreading the Seed” by Les Johnson
“Fixer Upper” by Eric Choi
“The Gatherer of Sorrows” by J. M. Sidorova

A Pair of New Stories

General, News, Short Fiction

I am thrilled to announce two new story sales. “Decrypted”, set in a near future in which all classical public key cryptography has been hacked, will be published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact. “Fixer Upper”, about a Chinese expedition to rescue the International Space Station, has been selected by Mike Brotherton for his upcoming anthology Science Fiction by Scientists (Springer). I am grateful to Trevor Quachri for my third appearance in Analog, and to Mike Brotherton for...well, a number of things (Launch Pad!) but in this case for generously expanding the definition of “scientist” to include a lowly engineer. My gratitude also to Ken Miura, whose thorough and insightful critique of “Fixer Upper” improved the story by at least an order of magnitude, and my heartfelt thanks to David Brin without whom “Decrypted” would not have been written.

“Crimson Sky” to Appear in the 2017 Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide

Anthologies, General, News, Short Fiction

I am grateful to Corie Weaver and her delightfully named Dreaming Robot Press for selecting my Prix Aurora Award winning story “Crimson Sky” for inclusion in their 2017 Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide. I had written “Crimson Sky” with young readers in mind and I am thrilled that Corie is helping me bring the story to a YA audience. The story was first published in the July/August 2014 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact.

YEAG 2017

Science Guest-of-Honour at Can*Con 2016

Appearances, Conventions, General, News

I am delighted to be the science guest-of-honour at Can*Con, which will be taking place September 9th to 11th at the Novotel Ottawa in our beautiful nation’s capital. Can*Con is one of the very best speculative literature conventions out there, chock-a-block full of fun and informative programming, supremely well-organized (water, pen and paper, and little alarm clocks at every panel!), and put together by some of nicest and hardest working people in this quadrant of the Galaxy. To be invited as the Science GoH is truly a wonderful honour. Thank you so much to Derek Künsken, Marie Bilodeau and the entire concom, and to Jim C. Hines for the great picture.

Imaginarium 4 is Now Available

Anthologies, News

Imaginarium 4, the latest edition of ChiZine’s prestigious annual collection of the best Canadian speculative fiction, is now available. Edited by Sandra Kasturi and Jerome Stueart with an introduction by Margaret Atwood, the anthology includes my post-apocalyptic short story “Túshūguăn”. It is an honour to be sharing a table of contents with Kate Story, Jean-Louis Trudel, Kelley Armstrong, Suzanne Church, David Clink, Alyx Dellamonica, Cory Doctorow, Amal El-Mohtar, Gemma Files, Nalo Hopkinson, Matthew Hughes, Matthew Johnson, Helen Marshall, Matt Moore, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, David Nickle, Tony Pi, Peter Watts, and many other terrific Canadian writers.

Imaginarium 4

“Most Valuable Player” in April 2016 issue of Analog SF

News, Short Fiction

My new short story “Most Valuable Player”, about a washed-up baseball star who unexpectedly finds redemption in mathematics, is now out in the April 2016 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. “MVP” is a companion piece to Ben Bova’s “Old Timer’s Game”, which appeared in our hard SF anthology Carbide Tipped Pens (Tor). This is my second publication in Analog, preceded by the Prix Aurora Award winning story “Crimson Sky” in the July/August 2014 issue. My deepest thanks and gratitude go to Analog’s wonderful editor Trevor Quachri.

Analog April 2016

“Crimson Sky” Wins 2015 Prix Aurora Award for Best Short Fiction English

Awards, News

Do-Ming Group ShotImage Credit: Do-Ming Lum

My short story “Crimson Sky”, which appeared in the July/August 2014 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact, has won the 2015 Prix Aurora Award in the category of Best Short Fiction English. Canada’s national award for excellence in science fiction and fantasy, this year’s Auroras were presented yesterday at SFContario 6 / Canvention 35 in a ceremony hosted by Hugo and Aurora winning author Peter Watts.

While I am delighted that my story has been honored, I am also disappointed that there were not three more Auroras in the Short Fiction category for my friends Suzanne Church, Tony Pi and Derwin Mak (“Mecha-Jesus” deserved an award just for the title!). Thank you so much to the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association, the Aurora voters, and Trevor Quachri for recruiting me into the Analog MAFIA.

Here is the complete list of 2015 Prix Aurora Award winners. Congratulations to everyone!

Best English Novel: A Play of Shadow by Julie E. Czerneda (DAW Books)
Best English YA Novel (Tie): Lockstep by Karl Schroeder (Tor Books) and Out of This World by Charles de Lint (Razorbill Canada)
Best English Short Fiction: “Crimson Sky” by Eric Choi, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, July/August 2014
Best English Poem/Song: “A Hex, With Bees” by Tony Pi, Wrestling With Gods: Tesseracts Eighteen (EDGE)
Best English Graphic Novel: It Never Rains by Kari Maaren, Webcomic
Best English Related Work: On Spec, Published by the Copper Pig Writers’ Society
Best Artist: Dan O’Driscoll, Covers for Bundoran Press and On Spec magazine
Best Fan Publication: Speculating Canada, Edited by Derek Newman-Stille
Best Fan Music: Kari Maaren, YouTube channel
Best Fan Organizational: Sandra Kasturi, Chair, Chiaroscuro Reading Series Toronto
Best Fan Related Work: Derek Newman-Stille, Speculating Canada on Trent Radio 92.7 FM

A Pennant of My Own

News, Short Fiction

With the Toronto Blue Jays winning the American League East division championship, I will shamelessly jump on the bandwagon by announcing the sale of my story “Most Valuable Player”, about a washed up baseball star who unexpectedly finds redemption in mathematics, to Analog Science Fiction and Fact. “MVP” is a companion piece to Ben Bova’s “Old Timer’s Game”, which appeared in our anthology Carbide Tipped Pens (Tor). This is my second sale to Analog, preceded by the Mars themed “Crimson Sky” in the July/August 2014 issue, which is a finalist for this year’s Prix Aurora Award in the category of Best Short Fiction English. Thank you Trevor Quachri...and go Jays go!