Strange New Worlds IX

by Dean Wesley Smith

  David DeLee (“A Bad Day for Koloth”) is a native New Yorker who currently resides in Central Ohio with his wife, Anne, his two daughters, Grace and Sarah, and their four cats. He would like to thank them once again for putting up with him and this crazy writing thing, to thank Dean, Elisa, and Paula for making all this possible, and he sends a special thank-you to his parents, John and Barbara, for setting him on the right road early on. “A Bad Day for Koloth” marks his second appearance in SNW and his second professional sale.

  Ben Guilfoy (“Mestral”) lives in Massachusetts, where he works as a special education tutor at a public high school. This is his first entry into the Strange New Worlds anthologies, for which he would like to thank his friends (especially Karen and Amanda) for their encouragement, and his parents for other obvious reasons, and he would definitely like to thank the writers and producers of Star Trek in all its incarnations, and the writers and editors at Pocket Books for creating and maintaining the universe so many people are able to visit and enjoy on a regular basis.

  Jeff D. Jacques (“Solace in Bloom”), a native of Ottawa, Canada, finds himself in the bittersweet position of being ineligible from future Strange New Worlds after appearing in SNW V (“Kristin’s Conundrum”) and SNW VII (“Beginnings”), but assures his legions of fans—who-, where-, and whatever they may be—that his Trek adventure is not at an end. He wishes to thank Dean, Paula, Elisa, and John for the opportunities SNW has opened up, and the ever-growing community of Trek writers, whose continued excellence is an inspiration to us all.

  Jim Johnson (“Home Soil”) is thrilled to return to SNW with his second professional fiction sale. He still lives in northern Virginia with his wonderful wife Andi, four cats, and a princess-like chestnut mare. When he’s not breaking bread with his fellow Paneranormal Society scribes (five for five this year!), Jim watches lots of DVDs, writes a whole bunch of stuff, and plays board games, card games, and tabletop RPGs. Check out his Yahoo! SNW Writers group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SNW_Writers). The “Real Johnson” offers a real and sincere thank-you to Dean, Elisa, and Paula for the opportunity to contribute to the ever-growing Star Trek universe.

  A. Rhea King (“Mother Nature’s Little Reminders”) is returning to SNW for a second year in a row. She is a native of Weld County and has lived in Colorado her entire life. In her free time she volunteers at a call center, helping hapless satellite TV customers wade through phone trees. Like all contestants, she wants to be the next Isaac Asimov and wishes for world peace.

  Kevin Lauderdale (“The Rules of War”) is as surprised as you that he’s appeared in three consecutive SNW anthologies and now qualifies for a “Wardy.” He attributes it to all that he’s learned about writing from Dean Smith and the other writers and editors he’s met through this amazing opportunity. Although a native and unrepentant Californian, he now resides in that hotbed of SNW activity, northern Virginia (home to most of the Paneranormals).

  Gerri Leen (“Living on the Edge of Existence”) lives in northern Virginia, originally hails from Seattle, and spends far too much mental time in the worlds of Star Trek. She gives a huge shout out to Lisa and Kath for useful crit and endless encouragement; to the Paneranormal Society writers (amazing what kicking ideas around can do); and to Dean, Elisa, and Paula for making this all happen. Her story “Obligations Discharged” was in SNW VII.

  Susan S. McCrackin (“Choices”) is very happy to be in SNW again (“Redux” in SNW VII and “Transfiguration” in SNW 8) and is humbled by the wonderful experiences she has had on the SNW ride. She thanks all of her friends in the Paneranormal Society in northern Virginia for all of the help and encouragement to make her quit worrying about her story and submit it. She sends out fond thanks to friends Judy, Leslie, and Lidia, to Dean, Elisa, and Paula for making all of this possible, and a special thanks to Uncle John, who was the inspiration for “Choices” and will always be a hero to her.

  Mike McDevitt (“The Last Tree on Ferenginar: A Ferengi Fable From the Future”) is a pleasant, unassuming Canadian man reluctantly kissing his twenties good-bye. A soul riven with conflict, Mike loves his Star Trek captain’s uniform and lightsaber equally (though both slightly less than his girlfriend Trish). He dedicates this story with love to all Trek fanatics and urges them to go outside and play sometimes. This is his first sale and he is not being entirely logical about it; indeed, he is practically overcome with hu-mon emotions. Peace and long life.

  Scott Pearson (“Terra Tonight”) lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his wife, Sandra, and their eight-year-old daughter, Ella, who was Commander T’Pella, a Vulcan science officer circa The Original Series, last Halloween. His story “Full Circle” was included in Strange New Worlds VII. A previous non-Trek story, “The Mailbox” (published in 1987—yes, he is that old), makes this his third professional short-story sale and his final appearance in the SNW anthology, so please visit him on the Web at www.yeahsure.net. “Terra Tonight” is dedicated to the memory of James Doohan.

  Catherine E. Pike’s “Maturation” represents her third and final entry in Strange New Worlds. Prior publications are “Fragment” in SNW V and “The Little Captain” in SNW VII. Catherine would like to thank Dean and all the editorial staff at Pocket Books for their encouragement and hard work! Catherine lives in the Long Beach area of Southern California, and works as a police dispatcher. She wishes to dedicate this story to Jan, Diane, and Trevor, and to Jeri Ryan.

  Randy Tatano (“Remembering the Future”) is a former television reporter who traded in his microphone for a laptop a few years ago to pursue a writing career. This is his first professional fiction sale. The Stamford, Connecticut, native hopes to publish his novel about television news (not science fiction, though it may as well be) and is working on another. He’d like to thank writing critique partner Laurie Brock for her help over the years; Steve Romaine, the most supportive best friend one could have; and his wife, Myra, an angel in any universe.

  Paul C. Tseng (“Staying the Course”) is a repeat SNW offender. His first strike was “Don’t Call Me Tiny” in SNW 8. He lives in California, with his beautiful wife and children. Paul holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Juilliard and a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. A mild-mannered IT professional by day, Paul maintains his secret identity as a writer and musician. Paul thanks Dean Smith for his wisdom and encouragement, as well as Elisa Kassin and Paula Block for all their tireless work, co-conspiring to publish yet another of his stories. “Staying the Course” is dedicated to the memory of his mother, Anna, who smiles down on her family from the heavens.

  Ryan M. Williams (“The Tribbles’ Pagh”) lives in the rainy Pacific Northwest, where he works as the circulation supervisor of a busy public library. A graduate of Seton Hill University’s Master of Arts program Writing Popular Fiction, he currently hopes to continue his education at the Odyssey Fantasy Workshop in 2006. This story is dedicated to Kathleen—his wife and first editor—whose insights were invaluable in writing this story.

  Jeremy Yoder (“The Smallest Choices”) is a computer programmer in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. During his spare time, he strives to turn his hobby of writing into a profession. In addition to his writing, he enjoys his two-year-old daughter, who is every bit as beautiful as his wife. He sends special thanks to those who make SNW possible, and best wishes to the other writers in this volume.