Fun SF Markets

From Gila Queen's Guide to Markets..... (both pay, but not extraordinarily well)

Giant Creatures Anthology—Permuted Press; See Web site. Editor: Ryan C. Thomas. "There was a time when the atomics industry fueled more than political debate—it fueled the growth spurts of God's creatures, which turned the tables against the domineering species known as man. Giant spiders, towering ants, train-sized Gila monsters, praying mantises larger than 747s, and yes, even mutated leeches big enough to swallow you whole."

"These were the themes behind the classic Creature Feature films of the ’50s and ’60s. By the ’70s we learned that no amount of atomic radiation would cause a flea to grow so large it could leap across an entire city, but that doesn't mean we can't look back on those drive-in films with a sense of fondness. They are as fun today as they were back then. It was, after all, the sight of these giant beasts attacking man that became the catalyst for many of today's horror writers to pick up a pen."

"Permuted Press is now opening up submissions to fill a collection of original giant creature stories for an anthology to be released in 2008."

What we want: "Original stories of animals/insects/etc. grown to enormous sizes (or at least vastly bigger than they should be). Take something that exists on earth and show us what happens when it gets really big. Anything from germs to spiders to rodents to monkeys to naked mole rats to swordfish—the opportunities are endless. Stories can be set in any location at any time period. Monsters need not be the result of radiation either—King Kong was simply big. Get creative, people. All genres welcome. (And please note this is not a Daikaju book, so Godzilla stories will be a very hard sell). Yes, giant people are okay, but you'll need to really impress us. Same with plants."

What we don't want: "No fan fiction or reprints. Again, try to stay away from Japanese Monsters—there are already anthos out there for that. No aliens or mythological creatures (stories CAN have sci fi elements, however). Think outside the box—we can only print one story of the army fighting a giant insect, if you get our drift."

3000–5000 words; pays $15 + copy. Query for longer submissions. "E-mail your manuscript as an attachment to [address below]. Please use a 12-point readable font—SINGLE SPACED. Include your name and E-mail on the cover page. Place the title of the story, page number, and your name in the header of each page. Please only submit one story at a time. No simultaneous submissions. [E-mail: permutedgiants@yahoo.com; http://www.permutedpress.com]. Deadline: March 5, 2008 "or until filled. Because we have invited a number of popular authors to participate, there are only a select number of open spaces left, so don't wait." RT—"We will get back to you as quickly as we can."

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Robots Beyond—Permuted Press; See Web site. Editor: Lane Adamson. "Robots. Intelligent machines, usually bearing at least some resemblance to humans, performing the routine drudgeries of life and freeing mankind for the pursuit of nobler goals."

"Karel Capek conceived the term. Isaac Asimov codified their behavior (and then spent the next fifty-plus years figuring out ways to get around his rules). Phillip K. Dick humanized them, chillingly. George Lucas and James Cameron, for good or ill, made them pop culture icons (as did their predecessors in THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, FORBIDDEN PLANET, and LOST IN SPACE, to name but a few)."

"But speculative fiction is, at its heart, the art of what-if. That's what this collection is all about: Robots Beyond the normal sci-fi boundaries, crossing into other genres with their customary logic and precision."

"Feel free to speculate on the role of robots in the Cthulhu Mythos, or how androids might interact with werewolves, vampires, or zombies. But stretch your imagination, and roam farther afield."

"What if an army of blue-steel robots burned Atlanta in ‘Gone with the Positrons,’ or a swashbuckling crew of mechanicals took to the high seas in ‘Robots of the Caribbean?’ Tell us about the passions behind the white picket fences of ‘Desperate Androids.’ These, of course, are just some slightly facetious starter ideas. That doesn't mean they can't be used—in fact, they're free for the taking. But don't be afraid to venture far beyond traditional robot fare. How might Philip Roth, Sylvia Plath, or Tennessee Williams have written about robots? What about Louis L'Amour, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—or Don Pendleton?"

"Your robots may be murderous or benign, terrifying or whimsical. Above all, they must be thought-provoking."

"Please be sure to avoid copyrighted characters and settings; fan-fiction is fun, but has no place here (our legal staff told us so)."

3000–7500 words (by word-processor count); pays 1¢/word + 1 copy. Stories "must be in standard manuscript format: one-inch margins on all sides, Courier New font, etc. Send to E-mail address below "in either .DOC or .RTF format."

"Good spelling, punctuation, and grammar will not hurt your cause, either. Much like wearing a suit to a job interview, it might not make the actual qualifications of the applicant any better, but it does make it look as if you care." [E-mail: robotsbeyond@live.com; http://www.permutedpress.com]. Deadline: April 4, 2008. RT—"Responses will be completed no later than 30 days after the close of submissions; all submissions will be acknowledged within one week of receipt."