Critter Notices
[It's Freebie Friday in the Critters Store...]
Critters is 30!
Last November, Critters turned 30 years old! Wow! Thanks so much to all of you, who've made it such a resounding success!
FEATURED BOOK
Weekly Notes
Notes for 08-Jul-2026...
Critters Fund Drive helpers this week are sales of...
BLOOM by Wil McCarthy - $4.99
ReAnimus Press Store: www.ReAnimus.com/1145
Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B006PV826W/?tag=critters3a-20
(available in ebook + paperback)
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK
Mycora: technogenic life. Fast-reproducing, fast-mutating, and endlessly voracious. In the year 2106, these microscopic machine/creatures have escaped their creators to populate the inner solar system with a wild, deadly ecology all their own, pushing the tattered remnants of humanity out into the cold and dark of the outer planets. Even huddled beneath the ice of Jupiter's moons, protected by a defensive system known as the Immunity, survivors face the constant risk of mycospores finding their way to the warmth and brightness inside the habitats, resulting in a calamitous "bloom."
But the human race still has a trick or two up its sleeves; in a ship specially designed to penetrate the deadly Mycosystem, seven astronauts are about to embark on mankind's boldest venture yet--the perilous journey home to infected Earth!
Yet it is in these remote conditions, against a virtually omnipotent foe, that we discover how human nature plays the greatest role in humanity's future.
Reviews
"Tense, dynamic, intelligent... terrifyingly vivid"
--David Brin
"An ingenious yarn with challenging ideas, well-handled technical details, and plenty of twists and turns."
--Kirkus Reviews
"BLOOM is tense, dynamic, intelligent, offering a terrifyingly vivid view of how technology can rocket out of our control"
--David Brin, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of The Uplift War
"A view of mankind's future and the universe reminiscent of Arthur C. Clarke."
--The Denver Post
"In nearly every passage, we get another slice of the science of McCarthy's construction, and a deeper sense of danger and foreboding... McCarthy develops considerable tension."
--San Diego Union-Tribune
"The Mycora are an astonishingly original concept, one of the most chilling versions of nanotechnology yet envisioned. McCarthy has a real talent for hard-SF concepts and thriller plotting."
--Science Fiction Age
"Although set in the twenty-second century, this transcendent tale of close encounters with awesome life forms echoes current anxieties over the godlike manipulations of bioengineering.... A wallop of a finale."
--Publishers Weekly
"McCarthy combines straightforward SF adventure with a generous dose of speculative science in this simply told story, which pits a few courageous individuals against an unknown (though once familiar) universe."
--Library Journal
About the Author
Engineer/Novelist/Journalist/Entrepreneur Wil McCarthy is a former contributing editor for WIRED magazine and science columnist for the SyFy channel (previously SciFi channel), where his popular "Lab Notes" column ran from 1999 through 2009. A lifetime member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, he has been nominated for the Nebula, Locus, Seiun, AnLab, Colorado Book, Theodore Sturgeon and Philip K. Dick awards, and contributed to projects that won a Webbie, an Eppie, a Game Developers' Choice Award, and a General Excellence National Magazine Award. In addition, his imaginary world of "P2", from the novel LOST IN TRANSMISSION, was rated one of the 10 best science fiction planets of all time by Discover magazine. His short fiction has graced the pages of magazines like Analog, Asimov's, WIRED, and SF Age, and his novels include the New York Times Notable BLOOM, Amazon.com "Best of Y2K" THE COLLAPSIUM (a national bestseller) and, most recently, TO CRUSH THE MOON. He has also written for TV, appeared on The History Channel and The Science Channel, and published nonfiction in half a dozen magazines, including WIRED, Discover, GQ, Popular Mechanics, IEEE Spectrum, and the Journal of Applied Polymer Science. Previously a flight controller for Lockheed Martin Space Launch Systems and later an engineering manager for Omnitech Robotics, McCarthy is now the president and Chief Technology Officer of RavenBrick LLC in Denver, CO, a developer of smart window technologies. He lives in Colorado with his family.
[Disclaimer: Ye Olde Critter Captain also runs ReAnimus Press, sales from which help him keep Critters going as a free site.]
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Thanks for the donations, folks! We are 31.2% of the way to the fund drive goal with contributions from 76 donors, leaving about $4800 to go.
Thanks especially to
Charley Stevens
Brian Sellnow
Frank Shewmake
Frank Shewmake
Vincent Bonasso
for their recent donations to help keep Critters going. Much appreciated!
Stats by month...
Jan: $749.29 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, exceeded by $166.29 for the month
Feb: $181.72 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $401.28 for the month
Mar: $191.13 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $391.87 for the month
Apr: $307.38 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $275.62 for the month
May: $354.94 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $228.06 for the month
Jun: $248.79 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $334.21 for the month
Jul: $195.81 received toward $583 monthly fund drive goal, short by $387.19 for the month
=> short by $1851.94 of annual fund drive goal to date (and $2300 shortfall from last year)
[See https://www.critters.org/donate.php for more information.]
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Woohoo! Congratulations to...
- Holly Hefner, who sold her (Critter'd) short story, "The
Lycanthropy Is Not a Metaphor" to Ominous Thrill Podcast.
Please report your Woohoo!s via the www.critters.org/telldaworld.ht web page.
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This week's Most Productive Critter award, for 3 critiques (at time of judging), averaging almost 900 words each, goes to...
Stevie Xiang
To redeem an MPC, visit: www.critters.org/usempc.ht
Congratulations! To everyone else -- Crit early and often!
(For an explanation of the MPC award, see the www.critters.org/award.ht page.)
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Recommended Reading...
One of the best writing books - Secrets from the 6-time Best Editor
Hugo Award Master, Ben Bova: THE CRAFT OF WRITING SCIENCE FICTION THAT SELLS
https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1144
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Critters Workshop
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This week we have... [get from https://www.critters.org/private/mss.php ]...
Title Author
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Week of 8-Jul-2026 (Crits due 15-Jul-2026):
SF Star Racer, Chapter 5 Brian Sellnow -#32267
SF Freefall [@] Jamie M. Boyd -#32268
F She Chose Fire Edward Moore -#32269
F The Death of Robin Hood Kate Wooderson -#32270
SF The Ember Path, Chapter 8 D.G. Appeldoorn -#32271
SF Reaching_formerly Reach for the Moon - Chapter 2 Kate Ferraro -#32272
SF Origins of Bazor Deb CarverOwens -#32273
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Recommended books on writing:
THE CRAFT OF WRITING AND SELLING SCIENCE FICTION by Ben Bova
ReAnimus Press Store: https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1144
Amazon: https://Amazon.com/dp/B006MAZPEI
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SPECULATIVE FICTION OPENINGS By (Critter member) Robert Qualkinbush
https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1184 | https://Amazon.com/dp/B007O272ZI
STAYIN' ALIVE - A WRITER'S GUIDE by three-time SFWA President Norman Spinrad
How things really work in the art and commerce of publishing
https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1179 | https://Amazon.com/dp/B007SIC4I8
EXPERIMENT PERILOUS: THE 'BUG JACK BARRON' PAPERS by Norman Spinrad
(A 99cent essay on SF and writing)
https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1180 | https://Amazon.com/dp/B007MF3MS8
Because you might enjoy it... ALL FOR NAUGHT by JOHN E. STITH
Nick Naught, private eye, walks down some strange mean streets in an action-packed comedy set in the future.
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1547
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Pieces up for critique in other workshops...
In the lit workshop - https://critique.org/lit :
L Trust Henry McFarland -#32148
In the mystery workshop - https://critique.org/mystery :
T The Legacy Program Chapets 1 & 2 M Paul Whelan -#32103
In the nonfiction workshop - https://critique.org/nonfiction :
NO Climate Risk: What Would Ben Franklin Do Brian Cady -#32172
In the script workshop - https://critique.org/script :
SC It Happened One Christmas Robert W. Ross -#31694
In the kids workshop - https://critique.org/kids :
YS The Adventures of Jack, The Rabbit Emmanuel Agyei-Boatey -#31578
In the western workshop - https://critique.org/western :
W Good Land for Dying Kristen Vanderhoof -#32003
In the romance workshop - https://critique.org/romance :
R Embermarked, Chapter 10-12 Natalie Kalinowski -#31927
In the photo workshop - https://critique.org/photo :
PH A Building By Kanda River Nattamon Montriwat -#32096
In the apps workshop - https://critique.org/apps :
GM Uptown Valkyries Arthur Sankey -#31757
In the website workshop - https://critique.org/website :
WW Lawrence Vernon's Website Lawrence Vernon -#32200
In the critters workshop - https://critique.org/critters :
SF Star Racer, Chapter 5 Brian Sellnow -#32267
SF Freefall [@] Jamie M. Boyd -#32268
F She Chose Fire Edward Moore -#32269
F The Death of Robin Hood Kate Wooderson -#32270
SF The Ember Path, Chapter 8 D.G. Appeldoorn -#32271
SF Reaching_formerly Reach for the Moon - Chapter 2 Kate Ferraro -#32272
SF Origins of Bazor Deb CarverOwens -#32273
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You might also like... THE ASTRAL MIRROR by BEN BOVA
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1332
Standard notes:
HELP:
If you need help with anything, see https://www.critters.org/help -- there
are FAQs and a form to ask questions.
HELPING CRITTERS:
Critters is donation funded & volunteer run, so if you'd like to
help out with our current fund drive or otherwise, please visit
https://www.critters.org/donate.php -- Thanks!!
HOW TO SEND CRITIQUES:
Remember to send the critiques directly to me, critters@critique.org, so
I can forward them to the authors _and_ give you credit for your effort.
Please send only one critique per mail message (makes it easier to
archive). Please make sure the "#" symbol and manuscript number are in
the email Subject: line, like Subject: #1234. (Conversely, if you want
ol' Aburt to personally read the message, i.e., it's _not_ a critique,
don't put a "#" in the subject or I won't see it. Also -- put my current
anti-spam code word in there: see https://www.critters.org/antispam.ht .)
You may also send your critiques via https://www.critters.org/webcrit.ht .
Note that all critiques will be available to everyone to read the next Saturday.
DIPLOMACY:
Remember, authors and critiquers, we're all friends here. Be polite. Be
considerate. Be tactful. You can say you thought a story was drivel in a
courteous way. Try to point out the good and the bad; offer alternatives
if you can. Never, ever, attack the author -- only the story. Authors:
Remember that some reviewers may lack tact. Try to be understanding,
but if you get any that you feel are just plain mean-spirited, too short
to be of any use, or too "feel good," let me know and I'll withhold the
reviewer's "credit" for that story and/or cajole them into something
more insightful. See https://www.critters.org/diplomacy.ht for more...
CRITIQUE LENGTH:
If you want to send a short critique that you know is too short for
credit (200 words or less of your own meaningful content) please put
"NC#" in the Subject (NC=No Credit, like Subject: NC#1234) -and- say
something like "not for credit" inside your critique. (Remember also that
for MPC purposes, a critique must be 300 words or more.)
CHATTING:
Comments -other- than critiques (such as discussion of the critiques,
or Woohoo! announcements, or chit chat) should be posted to one of the
official Critters discussion forums (See the https://www.critters.org/newsgroups.ht
web page for full info, guidelines, etc.) Don't post stories or critiques
(mail those to critters@critique.org).
QUOTING:
Please pare the ms. down if critiquing in-line (don't quote the whole ms.!).
Other format rules are at https://www.critters.org/format.ht .
EVERYTHING'S ON THE WEB:
Past reviews are on the web page. The current week's manuscripts are
also there, as are prior mss. and even some rewrites. There's a Master
Page Index (site map) with tons of links to common items.
AUTHORS:
Authors for this week -- if you aren't getting email'd critiques from
me (as they come in) within a couple days -- ask me and we can verify
I'm sending them to the correct address. (Send me a phone# in case I
can't get email to you.) Check the format of your story ASAP to make sure
it's all there and readable.
EMAIL ISSUES:
If you want to change your email address or preferences (# mss. emailed,
SF/F/H type, or whether you get the huge critique batches at week's end),
point your browser to https://www.critters.org/admin.ht . Please don't
ask me to do this by hand, it's quite a chore! (E.g., if you're going
on vacation and want to suspend mail from me -- do this before/after
your trip.)
BACKUP SITE:
If you're unable to reach www.critters.org to get manuscripts, I've set up
an emergency backup site at https://backup.critters.org where you can get the
week's manuscripts (but not much of anything else :-). Speaking of backups --
don't forget to back up your own manuscripts so you don't lose them!
QUITTING:
If you want to quit or go inactive, drop by https://www.critters.org/admin.ht .
DONATIONS:
Critters is funded by donations, so visit https://www.critters.org/donate.php
if you'd like to help out.
Because you might enjoy it... THE EXILES TRILOGY by BEN BOVA
The best scientists on Earth are exiled to a space station... but they have other plans
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1122
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