2011 Westies Anthologized

My Clarion West classmates have had a pretty rockin year so far with stories in anthologies and collections. If you are looking for some good short stories to read, I highly recommend checking these out.

First up is S.L. Gilbow's new short story collection. I've been waiting for Gilbow to put out a collection of his own ever since I met him. His stories are amazing. They're the kind that pull you in so close that they silence a loud room, and grip you so tightly that you ache for days. Elegant with a feeling of the best classic science fiction, these are stories that you'll remember and want to share with others. There are five stories in this collection, each one beautifully crafted. I hope one day there's a print edition, so that I can add Gilbow to my shelves with my other favorite authors. You can get your copy here.

Next up is an anthology with two of my classmates' stories: Corinne Duyvis' Week 6 story at Clarion West, "The Applause of Others," and "Fisheye" by Maria Romasco-Moore. Corinne's story is set in Amsterdam, full of lovely city details. If you haven't read a story by Maria Romasco-Moore yet, you are missing out on some of the most beautiful and delightfully, wittily weird writing. In addition to Corinne and Maria's stories, the line up is stellar. Check out the Table of Contents and then maybe get a copy. 

Jei D. Marcade's story "Superhero Girl" is out in bookstores (like Barnes & Noble and such) in the anthology Super Heroes. Read this cool interview with Jei about the story that was originally published in Fantasy Magazine and learn the word for the storytelling technique you've probably been trying to pull off for years. Jei uses it seamlessly in this story. It is, in my mind, the textbook example (in addition to just being an all-around amazing story.) Go Jei! 

Alisa Alering was a winner of the Writers of the Future Contest this year. Her story "Everything You Have Seen" is in the newest compilation (Volume 29), out everywhere! This is a gorgeous, haunting story told in the lyric-crisp language that I love in all of Alisa's stories. At the awards ceremony, dancers interpreted the story, in what I think was the best performance of the evening. Read her awesome story, then head over to her blog where she's recounting the WOTF winner experience. 

The rest of my Westie friends are doing amazing things - managing magazines, starting novels, finishing novels, publishing short stories in magazines all over the place. I'll do another check-in soon with some cool story pubs in journals and magazines. Go CAAMF! :)