Deadline: June 20th, 2021
Payment: Contributor’s Copy
Theme: Shine a spotlight on the background characters of a hero’s story
Note: Reprints welcome

Since its beginnings in the early 1980s, the Life, the Universe, & Everything Symposium has been a staple of the Utah and Intermountain West author and artist community. Many authors, artists, and editors have found inspiration for their careers at the feet of scores of symposium guests. Influential professors and others have mentored those planning and running the symposium, but many of these mentors have passed on.

The symposium helps students of all ages by providing greatly discounted student memberships. Hemelein Publications—in conjunction with LTUE Press—created a series of memorial benefit/charity anthologies to help the symposium continue to help these aspiring creators learn about their crafts at a reasonable cost. Author, artist, and editor proceeds from the anthology go to LTUE to help students attend for a very low cost.

The fifth of these anthologies, A Hero of a Different Stripe, is a science fiction, fantasy, or light horror (along the lines of the original Twilight Zone) unusual hero adventure anthology, created in honor of Tom Grover. Tom was always helping out with LTUE, volunteering for anything and everything. He always seemed to be there when help was needed, and he was tireless in his efforts to make LTUE a success. He passed away in 1988 following a mountain climbing accident.

Theme

Ever wonder what the background people get up to when the hero’s not around? Write a story about it! We’re looking for stories featuring the people usually relegated to the role of mobile furniture in a story: the janitor on the starship, the granny knitting quietly on a park bench, the little kid with his dog, street merchants and performers, innkeepers just trying to take care of their customers, librarians, geeky teens who wouldn’t ever be chosen, insurance agents and accountants. You know the type. The kind who fade into the background. The people who work hard to make the hero shine. They don’t usually go on the big quests or save much beyond their own lunch, but when they do save the world, they don’t get the credit for it.

We want stories about these unsung heroes. It’s their turn to get some of the glory, or maybe just a nice thank you note. We’re looking for all genres—from hard science fiction to space opera to fantasy to superheroes to monster stories, and maybe even some light horror. Just make sure your hero isn’t the typical muscular sword swinger or teenage chosen one or other heroic trope. Step outside the bounds and give a supporting character the starring role.

In summary:

• Meets the theme as described above
• The characters in the story must be your own, original characters. Do not use other creators’ characters.
• Any length up to 17,500 words
• Unpublished or reprint stories
• Up to two submissions per author
• This is a benefit/charity anthology, so stories are donated and author receives no monetary compensation
• Authors receive a print copy of the anthology and an electronic copy
• Meet the content guidelines described on the Submission Guidelines page
• Stories are due by June 20, 2021 at 11:59pm Mountain Time.

If you have stories that meet these criteria, please submit them here:

 

>>Submit stories here!<< 

Acceptances or rejections will be sent by September 30, 2021, and acceptances will be accompanied by a publication contract. The anthology will be released during the LTUE symposium in February 2023 in electronic and printed form.

As this is a benefit/charity anthology, author, editor, and artist royalty proceeds go to support the symposium’s mission of education, training, and inspiring authors, artists, and editors in producing the next generation of amazing speculative fiction works. The anthology will be jointly published by Hemelein Publications and LTUE Press. This anthology will be edited by Joe Monson and Jaleta Clegg, co-editors of Trace the Stars, A Dragon and Her Girl, Twilight Tales, and Parliament of Wizards.

Stories not accepted for this anthology may be submitted for consideration for future benefit anthologies for LTUE during each submission period. Additional benefit anthologies will be published in the future, under a variety of genres. Themes so far have been space opera, adventure fantasy, light horror, and wizards.

If you are an artist and would like us to consider using your works for this or future benefit anthology covers, please contact us.

Please forward this call to anyone you think would be interested. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact us.

We appreciate your support of this cause, and we look forward to seeing your stories.

Via: Heimlein Publications.