In April, my first anthology as editor, Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6, released from Flying Pen Press. It’s been quite well received, and I enjoyed it so much that I’m doing it again. Coming next month, I’ll be doing my first Kickstarter to raise $5000 to pay writers, artist and editors for a packaged anthology of space colonists stories (see full description below). This anthology is headlined by Robert Silverberg, Mike Resnick and Nancy Kress. But I’ve also lined up some stellar writers to submit other stories as well, and I hope you’ll be as excited as I am to see how it turns out.

Mitch Bentley, current ASFA president, is preparing a cover mockup for the Kickstarter. His work has been outstanding on my Saga Of Davi Rhii novels, and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for this. Meanwhile, writers are antsy to get started. The deadline is in January and all the invitations are out. We just a little help to get it rolling.

Why do a Kickstarter? Because I want to pay authors for their stories. Except headliners, Space Battles was done for shares. I didn’t get paid at all. I did it to prove I could do this and get experience. But I’ve been doing a lot of editing over the past two years. And now I know I can do it. So I want to see the authors and myself get paid for their work. And then I’ll have a project I can set up with a small, a couple have already expressed interest, and make available for all of you. There are some pretty cool prizes in the works–autographed copies, tuckerizing, and I’m sure I’ll add a couple more before we’re done. In any case, I’ll announce the Kickstarter when it happens, but I wanted to give you all a preview of Beyond The Sun.

Beyond The Sun

Edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Colonists take to the stars to discover new planets, new sentient beings, and build new lives for themselves and their families. Some travel years to find their destination, while others travel a year or less. Some discover a planet that just might be paradise, while others find nothing but unwelcoming aliens and terrain. It’s not just a struggle for territory but a struggle for understanding as cultures clash, disasters occur, danger lurks and lives are at risk.

20 stories of space colonists by both leading and up and coming science fiction writers of today. Mike Resnick revisits the Hugo, Nebula and Homer winning universe of his Africa stories. Grandmaster Robert Silverberg examines a group of refugees from Israel who have to deal with the problem of whether aliens can be allowed to convert to Judaism. Autumn Rachel Dryden has colonists threatened by alien animals which burst out of shells on the ground like piranhas ready to feed on flesh. And new stories from Hugo and Nebula-winner Nancy Kress.

These and 15 other writers join author-editor Bryan Thomas Schmidt for tales of action, humor, and adventure amongst the stars.

Length: approximately 92,000 words
Publisher: TBD
Estimated Date of Publication: Summer 2013

Like most of my work, this anthology will be family friendly in focus. I want it to be something people of all ages can read, enjoy and discuss. Remember when space exploration filled you with awe? Do you remember sitting around dreaming about what it might be like if you too could go to the stars? That’s the sense I’d like to capture with these stories.  I’m deliberately choosing writers with diverse backgrounds, interests and styles with the hopes of getting a diverse selection still united around a common theme.

Authors invited to submit: Hugo and Nebula nominee Brad R. Torgersen, Jean Johnson writing in her Philip K. Dick Award nominated novel universe, Jamie Todd Rubin, Cat Rambo, Jennifer Brozek, Matthew Cook, Erin Hoffman, Jason Sanford, Guy Anthony DeMarco, Patrick Hester, Sarah Hendrix, Anthony R. Cardno, Johne Cook, Simon C. Larter, Grace Bridges, Jaleta Clegg, Dana Bell, Anne-Mhairi Simpson, Selene O’Rourke, Mike Resnick, Robert Silverberg, Nancy Kress, and Autumn Rachel Dryden. And a few more whom I’m waiting to hear from will probably add their names as well.

Not a shabby list, if I don’t say so myself. Really excited to see what everyone comes up with, too!

Bryan Thomas Schmidt is an author and editor of adult and children’s speculative fiction. His debut novel, The Worker Prince(2011) received Honorable Mention on Barnes & Noble Book Club’s Year’s Best Science Fiction Releases for 2011. A sequel The Returning followed in 2012 and The Exodus will appear in 2013, completing the space opera Saga Of Davi Rhii. His first children’s books, 102 More Hilarious Dinosaur Books For Kids (ebook only) and Abraham Lincoln: Dinosaur Hunter- Lost In A Land Of Legends (forthcoming) appeared from Delabarre Publishing in 2012.  His short stories have appeared in magazines, anthologies and online. He edited the anthology Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6 (2012) and is working on World Encounters and Space & Shadows: SpecNoir with coeditor John Helfers, both forthcoming. He hosts #sffwrtcht (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writer’s Chat) Wednesdays at 9 pm ET on Twitter and is an affiliate member of the SFWA.