EDWARD F MCKEOWN

photo by http://www.michaelchurch.com/

EdwardFMcKeown@aol.com

I've enjoyed a life-long love affair with science fiction. I write believable people in extraordinary situations, balancing romance,humor, adventure and reasonable extrapolations of science in stories that I believe people will want to return to. Whether it's in the short stories of my "Lair of the Lesbian Love Goddess series" or in the novel "Was Once A Hero" a classic "Planet" tale of a crew of unlikely companions facing unknown dangers, my intent is to give the reader the sort of page turning, involving adventure that Andre Norton wrote and leaven it with the emotional complexity and ambiguity that CJ Cherryh brings to the field. 

While the experiences of the SF universe are out of reach of those unable to pay for a Russian rocket ride, I use my own background to try for an underlying verity in my characters. I’ve parachuted, flown in gliders, hang gliders and strapped to the floor of military helicopters. I’ve been rated as an expert shot and carry a black belt in the martial arts. I’ve been paralyzed by fear, exhilarated by love and walked into fights, both literal and metaphorical, that I knew I could not win. I have the great good fortune to be married to the talented artist Schelly Keefer  http://www.redskygallery.com/html/home.asp  and her products are available at www.zazzle.com/schelly

"AND THE STORY OF YOUR LATEST SUCCESS KEPT THEM SO ENTERTAINED-" Billy Joel

It's a Threepeat!!!  I am having some trouble believing it myself but for the third year in a row I just pulled first place in the 2008 CrossTIME Short Science Fiction Contest for the "The Robot Not Taken" a Lair Story. http://www.crossquarter.com/  The book was a finalist in the 2008 NM Book Awards and is available on Amazon.com    http://www.amazon.com/CrossTIME-Science-Fiction-Anthology-Vol/dp/189010910X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229790125&sr=1-1

Lightning Strikes Twice! 2007 Crosstime SF Contest First Place for "Medi-evil"  http://www.crossquarter.com/  available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/CrossTIME-Science-Fiction-Anthology-Vol/dp/1890109096/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230832629&sr=8-2

Representation:

For novel length work I am represented by the Swetky Literary Agency http://amsaw.org/swetkyagency/meetourauthors-propertyindex-fiction-J-R.html

Please see:
http://amsaw.org/swetkyagency/submissionsynopsis-mckeown-wasonceahero.html

http://amsaw.org/swetkyagency/submissionsynopsis-mckeown-fearfulsymmetry.html

Webpages:
http://www.sfwa.org/members/mckeown  Member Science Fiction Writers of America

Publications:
Fiction:

23 House  www.23house.com has purchased "Pas De Deux" a "Jeremy Leclerc Knight Templar" story for their anthology Nights of Blood II: Tales of the Vampire to be released in Spring 2009

  The new cover!!

The Sha'Daa Anthology has been sold! The epic apocalyptic adventure in which a group of writers share a world and characters will be brought to the world by Cyberwizard Publications imprint. The series created by Mike Hanson and edited with Edward McKeown begins the tale of the apocaplyptic struggle that rages every 10,000 years on Earth. This series embraces everything from soul-shaking horror to comedy as it follows the engagement between humanity and hell in unexpected corners of the world http://www.cyberwizardproductions.com  due out May of 2009 and to feature an introduction by famed SF writer, Mike Resnick! 

We've even had our first good review  http://www.literalminded.com/story/book-review-shadaa-tales-apocalypse by Eric S. Brown

 Leucrota Press  http://www.leucrotapress.com/ has accepted "Must Have Own Weapons" for the 2008 Abaculus anthology  Now Available for sale at http://www.amazon.com/Abaculus-II-Danielle-Kaheaku/dp/0980033950/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230829076&sr=1-1 

Janrae Frank http://www.janraefrank.com/  has accepted "Kudzu Jesus" for publication in the 2008 anthology  "They're Not What They Seem: Tales of mimcry and horror" soon to be seen at www.daverana.com  This is the third Jeremy Leclerc Knight Templar story to see print and was inspired by this image taken by artist Schelly Keefer.

 Residential Aliens and Cyberwizards Publications have accepted "Failure to Communcate" for Strange Worlds of Lunacy in 2008 http://residentialaliens.blogspot.com/  Or the ResAlien's store link which is here:http://www.lulu.com/content/2342433

Residential Aliens has published "The People of Terra Firma" for Jan/2008 http://residentialaliens.blogspot.com/2008/01/people-of-terra-firma.html

AtomJack has published "CEO" Feb/2008 http://atomjackmagazine.com/9/current.html

Speculation Nation http://www.speculationnation.co.uk  is printing a rewrite of "New York Minute" in their debut issue in 2008.

 "Templar" the story of a modern day Knight Templar in Charlotte NC,  will be published by Vampires2's print magazine in Feb 2008. http://www.vampires2.com/  (note- this site is a little on the spicy side you do need to be over 18 to use it.) 

American Fiction http://www.americanfiction.org/  published "Ed & Joey" A literary fiction piece in their November issue.

Cats with Wings has published the Lair Story, "Bone to Pick" in their inaugural issue 6/2007.  http://catswithwings.freehostingnow.com/

Raygun Revival has published "Final Exam" in as the lead story of issue 20  http://raygunrevival.com/  &  http://raygunrevival.com/Published/RGR_0020_2007_04_15.pdf

The Sword Review has published "Bedbugs" in Issue 19 http://www.theswordreview.com/ available for sale at http://www.lulu.com/content/589852          There is a nice review available at:                                                  http://www.tangentonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=899&Itemid=265

Barfing Frog has published the extended version of Rewrite!  http://www.barfingfrog.741.com/Fiction/rewrite.htm

Beautiful Dreamer has been selected for the trade paperback edition of Distant Passages: The Best from Double-Edged Publishing 2005 http://www.lulu.com/content/276255  2006.

Blood Sucking Gourmets from Outer Space" is being republished as the lead story of Vampires2's print magazine. http://www.vampires2.com/  (note- this site is a little on the spicy side you do need to be over 18 to use it.  The cover is of my character Jelena of the Draoi however- the artist took liberties with her uniform... ) 

The Best of AstoundingTales.com, Volume 1, edited by Arthur Sánchez and Keith Graham, contains "Graduation Day." This anthology includes the finest work published by AstoundingTales.com in 2004–05.

Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine May/June 2005 contains "Al Clone Capone" (a "Lair" series story).

Goremet Quisine, edited by Nancy Jackson has accepted, “Bone to Pick” a “Lair” series story and is now for sale. http://www.lulu.com/content/215228  

Planet Magazine, "Failure to Communicate" http://planetmag.com/2004/09/13/failure-to-communicate-by-ed-mckeown/#more-24 (2004)

Charlotte Writers Club Annual Award Anthology  contains the award winning “Work in Progress” http://www.mainstreetrag.com/store/books.php  Published 11/2004

Lowport edited by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, published by Meisha Merlin  http://www.meishamerlin.com/meishamerlin.html. contains the award wining “Lair of the Lesbian Love Goddess.” Published 9/2003.

  Clocktower Books, "Geeks from the Stratosphere" available for sale on Fictionwise. (Rewritten and with an exciting new cover by Kaolin Fire http://erif.org/

 Clocktower Books, : "Into the Robot Harem" available for sale on Fictionwise. http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook16524.htm (Rewritten and with an exciting new cover by Kaolin Fire http://erif.org/ )

Fantasy Readers, Hall of Fame “Bloodsucking Gourmets from Outer Space A "Lair" story http://www.fantasyreaders.com/free/edmc_cnt.pdf 

Planet Magazine: “People?” December, 2002 issue http://www.etext.org/zines/planet/pm36/people.html 

Bloodlust Magazine, United Kingdom: May 2002 “Blood-sucking Gourmets from Outer Space” http://www.bloodlust-uk.com/home.html. This is the third story in the “Lair” series.

Planet Magazine: “New York Minute” June 2002 issue http://www.etext.org/zines/planet/pm34/newyork.html

Planet Magazine:  “Open Twenty-Four Hours” feature story December 2001 http://www.etext.org/Zines/planet/pm32/24hours.html.

Millennium Magazine:  “Everyone Thinks He’s Human” Nov 2000.

Captains Log #9:  “Ghostlight-One” 

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Film          

Editorial Work

 I was contacted by a visionary fellow named, Michael Hanson. He was making the rounds of small press writers and publishers, recruiting talent for a shared anthology called "The Sha’ Daa." Mike’s concept was that an apocalyptic event occurs every 10,000 years when the forces of evil break across the dimensions to Earth. The next Sha’ Daa’ is due to break out only a few years into our future. Mike came up with about twenty scenarios for writers to pick from to do stories. It was in his mind that the battle to come would be fought in odd places, by unlikely heroes, and run the gamut from true horror to comedy. It sounded fascinating and I signed on, picking a theme of unionized sewer workers battling demons in the underside of New York City.

A group of us began the Sha' Daa" journey together. Not all of us made it. One died, another battled serious illness, one’s computer flamed and took the work and their heart out of the project. One withdrew rather than be edited. Some of us did double duty and picked up an additional story and added to the growing epic. Lee Kuruganti graced us with her wonderful artwork and the book began to come alive.

Eventually we ended up with a quarter million words of Sha’ Daa stories. We were in trouble. We’d not figured on the hardihood of our writers. Usually in such projects people talk big but don’t produce. Our Sha Daaists fought on, with writer after writer producing fine work, sometimes far in excess of the requested word count. I had been helping Mike behind the scenes on some of the editing when he realized that the mass of stories needed a more determined edit. To my surprise and great pleasure, Mike asked me to undertake it. I lost track of the hours I then invested in working the Sha’ Daa". I was guided by one basic principle, "help the author tell THEIR story." It was a humbling and somewhat disturbing prospect for an author to take other people’s words in hand, for all that I have been in critique groups for years and led one. I reached back into that experience, remembering how my groups were always my first defense against bad writing. I quickly realized that no matter what I did we did not have one book on our hands but two and so was born, Sha’ Daa" II "Beachheads." 

The Sha’ Daa," combines the vision of the following wonderful writers: Mike Hanson, Arthur Sanchez, Nancy Jackson, Edward McKeown, Lee Kuruganti, Deborah Koren, Wilson G Marsh, Jaime Schmidt, Duncan MacMaster, Adrienne Ray, Robert Adams, Tricia Ulaub, T. Anthony Truax, Terri Von Reiman, Robin Matheson and the late James Wasserman.

Non Fiction:

2007 International Artist will publish my article on the life of Hungarian Artist Zoltan Szabo later their November issue year http://www.international-artist.com/

SFWA Bulletin has purchased my article, "Mr President we have a First Contact Situation" for Spring 2007  

The Pastel Journal has purchased, "The Art of the Critique Group- Schelly Keefer methods for establishing and running a critique group" for their December issue www.pasteljournal.com

The Science Fiction Writers of America Bulletin will publish my speculative essay, "What do we do with Flores Man?" in their fall issue for 2005. http://www.sfwa.org/bulletin/ 

"What I need know to own property and not get my butt sued off!" TouchStone Times Summer 2006 issue.

Charlotte Writers Club Annual Award Anthology 2005 will contain the award winning “Zoltan Szabo Remembered- A life in Art” http://www.mainstreetrag.com

Watercolor Magazine: Fall 2003 issue, “The Light in the Darkness” www.myamericanartist.com

Pastel Journal: Nov 2002 issue, “The Art Techniques of Schelly Keefer” nonfiction, www.pasteljournal.com

Independence Blvd: “A Quick Medium: A biography of the Artist Zoltan Szabo” Jan, 2000.

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Awards:

2008 Finalist New Mexico Book awards for "The Robot Not Taken" a "Lair Story" http://www.nmbookcoop.com/BookAwards/2008-Book-Awards/2008-Book-Awards.html and first place in 2008 Crosstime SF contest

2007 Honorable mention "Writers of the Future" for "Medievil" a "Templar" Story                                                                                                  

2006 Crosstime SF Contest First Place for "Beautiful Dreamer"                                   2004 Charlotte Writers Club, Third place“Zoltan Szabo, A life in Art” Nonfiction
2003 Charlotte Writers Club Honorable Mention, “Work in Progress”
2003 Finalist in the North Carolina Elizabeth Simpson Literary contest, “Dimensions” 
2003 Fantasy Readers Hall of Fame, “Bloodsucking Gourmets from Outer Space”
2003 Charlotte Writers Club, Honorable Mention for “The People”
2002 Writer’s Digest Short Story Contest Honorable Mention for “Lair of the Lesbian Love Goddess.”
2001 Finalist in the North Carolina Elizabeth Simpson Literary contest for “Lair of the Lesbian Love Goddess.”
2000 First prize in the Canadian X the Unknown contest for 2000.  “New York Minute”
2000 Runner up in the same:  “Open Twenty-Four Hours.”

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Articles:

2002 Charlotte Observer People Section  “Artist and writer couple succeed.”

Ed's reviews and work with other authors:

I was recently asked to write an introduction to a wonderful piece of work by Sarah Wegner http://www.sarahwagner.domynoes.net/  (alias Shade 53 on SF reader) in her upcoming work "Hardwired Humanity" soon to be issued by Cyberwizard publishing's Altered Dimension Imprint.  This is a terrific collection of stories on the intersection of man and machine, keep haunting the site until it is for sale. http://www.cyberwizardproductions.com/

I’ve been invited to serve on the staff of Abandoned Towers a new ezine from Cyberwizard publicationshttp://cyberwizardproductions.com/AbandonedTowers/

See my Reviews:http://www.sfreader.com/bbreviewer_results.asp?LN=McKeown&FN=Edward

Reviews of Ed's work

-Eric S Brown LiteralMinded http://www.literalminded.com/story/book-review-shadaa-tales-apocalypse  Sha'Daa: Tales of the Apocalypse is an end of the world book like no other I have read before. The anthology was written by various authors whose tales weave together into a seamless novel, rather than a collection of related stories. It is set on a fictional world that is constantly under attack from Hellish creatures of other dimensional origins...

"The Dive", written by Edward McKeown, is the opening tale and one of its strongest in the anthology. It pits a band of sewer workers and a lone cop against the demons of the time of the Sha'Daa as they try to cross over into our world. The story possesses enough driving energy to match even the best "fast zombie" apocalyptic stories. After encountering The Salesman, the workers discover the demons in the sewer tunnels and suddenly are forced to find a way to stop them from reaching the surface and the teeming metropolis above who are blissfully unaware of their impending doom.

Selected Reviews of Lowport’s “Lair of the Lesbian Love Goddess”

“Warning to fans of Lee and Miller’s Liaden: this anthology isn’t focused on that universe’s Low Ports, much as readers might like to see them at center stage for once. Rather, these stories are about the low ports of many worlds, comprising a sort of universe of scruffy towns like Mos Eisley on Tattoine in Star Wars, particularly the back streets and dreary cantinas of such places. As in almost any anthology, the content’s quality varies. But the idea behind the whole enterprise is to tell the stories of folks who usually play small parts in the background; that is, when authors don’t neglect them entirely. Despite the PC flavor that such a theme generates, the 20 authors involved here produce a number of original settings and some high-quality characterizations. Pay particular attention to the contributions of eluki bes shahar (aka Rosemary Edghill), Edward McKeown, Jody Lynn Nye, Laura J. Underwood, and in one of his relatively rare appearances at shorter-than-novel length, L. E. Modesitt.”

—Frieda Murray, Booklist
“It’s hard to get a handle on the kinds of stories you’ll find in Low Port by simply reading the title. Depending on your tastes, this could be a double-edged sword. What you won’t find in Low Port are stories about the larger-than-life characters that seem to populate so much of today’s popular fiction. What you will find, however, are stories about the characters that normally get only a passing mention or the unlikely heroes that get completely overlooked.

“That said, the stories in this anthology run the gamut. From Edward McKeown’s futurized crime noir tale, “Lair of the Lesbian Love Goddess,” to Patrice Sarath’s tale of four adventuresome kids, “More to Glory,” there should be at least a few stories in this book that would appeal to even the most selective reader. Nathan Archer’s “Contraband” is the story of a customs inspector who discovers that a shipment of “pets” is more than it seems. Paul E. Martens’ “The Times She Went Away,” tells of a female space adventurer and the profound impact she has on a port dweller’s life through the course of a handful of meaningful encounters. “Bidding the Walrus,” by Lawrence M. Shoen is one of the anthology’s strongest efforts, recounting the story of a futuristic contractor’s near-disastrous foray into the world of Artificial Intelligence. Yet, editors Lee and Miller save the book’s most skillfully crafted story for last. Douglas Smith’s “Scream Angel,” is a multi-layered tale about a circus that features a pair of angels who have the ability to produce a drug that produces pleasure based on intensity of emotion. Factor in that the owner of the circus is in love with one of the angels as well as addicted to the drug she produces, and the story quickly becomes one that holds the reader’s attention until the very end.

“Overall, this anthology is entertaining and has some thought-provoking stories that will keep readers on board in order to see what kind of odd scenario or character they will encounter next. Recommended for readers of any genre who appreciate a well-told story.”

—Jason Brannon, SpecFicWorld



“The ‘low port’ may be the lower decks of the space ship, the kitchen or the dungeon of a castle, the homeless of society, or even an orphan. They can be the lowest on the rung, but it doesn’t always mean they are the lowest of the low or the bottom of the barrel. Everyone has their pride and their dreams and that is what I find most admirable about this anthology.

“Digger Don’t Take No Requests” by John D. Teehan is the story of a panhandler on the Moon with his eyes set on the stars. Ru Emerson’s “Find a Pin” is the story of a homeless girl and her mother living on the edge. Chris Szego’s tale of “Angel’s Kitchen” is one of a strange meeting place. “Lair of the Lesbian Love Goddess” by Edward McKeown is a charming tale of aliens and sex. Other stories are by Jody Lynn Nye, Lee Martindale, Laura J. Underwood, and Sharon Lee.

“This is an unusual and interesting group of stories by authors old and new, authors tried and true. Be sure to check out these stories. It may be about the lower level characters, but it is high-level adventure.”

—Barry Hunter, Baryon Magazine 91


“The fans of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s Liaden Universe® are many and widespread and, apparently, include not a few authors. The writing team has brought together this time not an adventure of the aristocratic families of Clan Korval, Clan Mizel and the other high-powered families of that universe, but the people who normally go unnoticed. It would be a mistake to call them “average”—there are thieves and addicts and agents and biomeds and saviours. The characters of Low Port are the beings that keep the world going while royalty dances among the stars. And the stories of these survivors have a flavour that is uniquely their own.

“All is not gloom and despair in these well-chosen stories, however. A wry humour radiates from the garbled world in Joe Murphy’s “Zappa for Bardog,” with a lead character that is lovable, if untouchable, and a refusal to give up among the rebellious beings. An edgier wit peeks through the dangerous prose in “Gonna Boogie with Granny Time”—a contribution from Sharon Lee herself that earns its position in this irresistible anthology. And, title aside, “Lair of the Lesbian Love Goddess” shows off Edward McKeown’s sly and clever mastery of the joke left unsaid.

—Lisa Dumond, Black Gate Magazine, MEviews

Recommendations for “Was Once A Hero”

http://amsaw.org/swetkyagency/submissionsynopsis-mckeown-wasonceahero.html

"Twenty years ago, when Ron Howard directed Splash, I remember thinking that this was what Disney should be doing, if they were still in touch with their audience. Witty entertainment for their fans, but brought up to date. They didn't, and Howard did, with enormous success. The classic Planet Stories of S/F have suffered similar abandonment, but without a rescuer, until now. Edward McKeown's "Was Once A Hero" combines adventure and romance with the dark humor and human complexities absent from a more black-and-white age. Robert Fenaday and Shasti Rainhell are real people. They make mistakes, they hurt, they stumble in the dark emotionally, and they save the world. They are flawed, wounded heroes, and they make you realize, as you hungrily turn each page, that the best fiction contains excitement and passion; and the best aspect of life is the possibility of personal redemption. Was Once a Hero provides both." Tim McLoughlin, author of "Heart of the Old Country" and Editor of "Brooklyn Noir"

Links

John T. Cullen