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Table of Contents

Fiction

1. The Anaconda Project, Episode Seven Eric Flint

2. The Anaconda Project, Episode Eight Eric Flint

3. The Creamed Madonna Kerryn Offord

4. First Impressions Iver Cooper

5. A Gentile in the Family Terry Howard

6. The Royal and Ancient Game Mark H. Huston

7. High Road to Venice Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett

Continuing Serials

8. Turn Your Radio On, Episode One Wood Hughes

9. Hallelujah, Part One David Carrico

Nonfiction

10. Better Foundations, Part 1: An Introduction to Concrete Iver P. Cooper

11. Plausibility Denial or Truth is Stranger Than Fiction Gorg Huff

12. Wingless Wonders Kevin H. Evans

What is this? About the Grantville Gazette

Written by Grantville Gazette Staff

The Grantville Gazette originated as a by-product of the ongoing and very active discussions which take place concerning the 1632 universe Eric Flint created in the novels 1632, 1633 and 1634: The Galileo Affair (the latter two books co-authored by David Weber and Andrew Dennis, respectively). This discussion is centered in three of the conferences in Baen’s Bar, the discussion area of Baen Books’ web site. The conferences are entitled “1632 Slush,” “1632 Slush Comments” and “1632 Tech Manual.” They have been in operation for almost seven years now, during which time nearly two hundred thousand posts have been made by hundreds of participants.

Soon enough, the discussion began generating so-called “fanfic,” stories written in the setting by fans of the series. A number of those were good enough to be published professionally. And, indeed, a number of them were—as part of the anthology Ring of Fire , which was published by Baen Books in January, 2004. ( Ring of Fire also includes stories written by established authors such as Eric Flint himself, as well as David Weber, Mercedes Lackey, Dave Freer, K.D. Wentworth and S.L. Viehl.)

The decision to publish the Ring of Fire anthology triggered the writing of still more fanfic, even after submissions to the anthology were closed. Ring of Fire has been selling quite well since it came out, and a second anthology similar to it is scheduled to be published late in 2007. It will also contain stories written by new writers, as well as professionals. But, in the meantime . . . the fanfic kept getting written, and people kept nudging Eric—well, pestering Eric—to give them feedback on their stories.

Hence . . . the Grantville Gazette. Once he realized how many stories were being written—a number of them of publishable quality—he raised with Jim Baen the idea of producing an online magazine which would pay for fiction and nonfiction articles set in the 1632 universe and would be sold through Baen Books’ Webscriptions service. Jim was willing to try it, to see what happened.

As it turned out, the first issue of the electronic magazine sold well enough to make continuing the magazine a financially self-sustaining operation. Since then, nine more volumes have been electronically published through the Baen Webscriptions site. As well, Grantville Gazette, Volume One was published in paperback in November of 2004. That has since been followed by hardcover editions of Grantville Gazette, Volumes Two and Three.

Then, two big steps:

First: The magazine had been paying semi-pro rates for the electronic edition, increasing to pro rates upon transition to paper, but one of Eric’s goals had long been to increase payments to the authors. Grantville Gazette, Volume Eleven is the first volume to pay the authors professional rates.

Second: This on-line version you’re reading. The site here at http://www.grantvillegazette.com is the electronic version of an ARC, an advance readers copy where you can read the issues as we assemble them. There are stories posted here which won’t be coming out in the magazine for more than a year.

How will it work out? Will we be able to continue at this rate? Well, we don’t know. That’s up to the readers. But we’ll be here, continuing the saga, the soap opera, the drama and the comedy just as long as people are willing to read them.

—The Grantville Gazette Staff

It’s Getting Closer . . .

Written by Paula Goodlett

As I mentioned back in Grantville Gazette, Volume 17, a lot of the 1632 crew are going to be at Albacon, in Albany, New York, October 10 – 12. And I’m mentioning it again, since we want as many of the fans of the series as possible to attend.

So far the panels we have planned are:

Time Passed in the Past—Knights in Shining Armor Are Passé:- presenter Virginia DeMarce

What Didn’t Happen: Who Didn’t Do What to Whom: presenters Virginia DeMarce and Eric Flint

How to Get Published in the Gazette: presenters, the whole crew (since we’ll probably ask new authors to tell their stories)

Weird Tech – What Can We Do and When Can We Do It: presenter Rick Boatright

Renaissance Boogie—Court Dances of the Seventeenth Century: presenter and demonstrator, Iver Cooper

The Economics of 1632—It Costs What!: presenter Gorg Huff

Snerking the Plots: presenter Eric Flint

And we’re likely to come up with more, now that I think about it.

Here’s the url for Albacon: http://www.albacon.org/hotel.html

And I’m reminded by the folks running Albacon to ask you to make your reservations right now. They’re 2/3 full on their block of rooms, so you really need to get in there soon, please.

I’ll keep you updated. Come see us. It’ll be fun

Paula Goodlett

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