A short science fiction story of mine called Colloidal Suspension was accepted for an anthology last year but only now have I permssion to brag about it. Colloidal Suspension is about a man and woman, former lovers (plus wishful thinking on the man’s part) who crashland on a liquid planet. I love survival scenarios in what appears to be impossible situations like this. They argue, plan for rescue, and head for what they hope is the only bit of land. Luckily the sea is as nourishing as a thick pea soup. Do they make it? Yes and no. You’ll have to wait… Press release from the editor:
EXTREME PLANETS
A Science Fiction Anthology of Alien Worlds
Extreme Planet cover art
Introduced by Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author David Brin
Featuring stories from David Brin and Gregory Benford, Brian Stableford, Peter Watts, G. David Nordley, Jay Caselberg and many more
“A stellar line-up of writers presenting the most exotic worlds imaginable—prepare to have your mind blown!” — Sean Williams, Author of Saturn Returns and Twinmaker
Two decades ago astronomers confirmed the existence of planets orbiting stars other than our Sun. Today more than 800 such worlds have been identified, and scientists now estimate that at least 160 billion star-bound planets are to be found in the Milky Way Galaxy alone. But more surprising is just how diverse and bizarre those worlds are.
Extreme Planets is a science fiction anthology of stories set on alien worlds that push the limits of what we once believed possible in a planetary environment. Visit the bizarre moons, dwarf planets and asteroids of our own Solar Systems, and in the deeper reaches of space encounter super-Earths with extreme gravity fields, carbon planets featuring mountain ranges of pure diamond, and ocean worlds shrouded by seas hundreds of kilometres thick. The challenges these environments present to the humans that explore and colonise them are many, and are the subject matter of these tales.
The anthology features 15 tales from leading science fiction authors and rising stars in the genre:
· “Banner of the Angels” by David Brin and Gregory Benford
· “Brood” by Stephen Gaskell
· “Haumea” by G. David Nordley
· “A Perfect Day off the Farm” by Patty Jansen
· “Daybreak” by Jeff Hecht
· “Giants” by Peter Watts
· “Maelstrom” by Kevin Ikenberry
· “Murder on Centauri” by Robert J. Mendenhall
· “The Flight of the Salamander” by Violet Addison and David Smith
· “Petrochemical Skies” by David Conyers and David Kernot
· “The Hyphal Layer” by Meryl Ferguson
· “Colloidal Suspension” by Geoff Nelder
· “Super-Earth Mother” by Guy Immega
· “Lightime” by Jay Caselberg
· “The Seventh Generation” by Brian Stableford
Extreme Planets is scheduled for release in late 2013 in both trade paperback and online e-reader formats. Edited by David Conyers, David Kernot and Jeff Harris with cover illustration by Paul Drummond.
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The story Colloidal Suspension was critiqued at the BSFA Orbiter crit group and at Cafe Doom. And a colloidal chemist, John Rennie, in the Chester SF book group read through the story for me and gave me encouragement and tips – including the immortal line: This thing you have as colloidal suspension, Geoff, isn’t really colloidal.” Haha. Thanks guys and gals for your input.
