Intergalactic Rejects

For readers: a collection of exciting, powerful science fiction and fantasy stories. For writers: a reminder that rejection isn’t the end and to never give up on stories you believe in.

A man who lost his son finds family again piloting a lab-grown dolphin and helping it navigate loss while, hopefully, preventing more; an Irish goddess must contend with the magic of a saint to save her people; and a bullied boy finds common cause with the ghosts of dead horses in the basement of the Hermitage Museum.

These stories and many more await in this anthology of stories. Each one powerfully demonstrates the point of this anthology: that great stories are rejected every day. From Science Fiction Grand Masters and New York Times bestsellers to writers just starting their career, this anthology is packed full of strong stories that waited a long time to find a home. Every story is accompanied by a rejection history from the author themselves, each with different lessons on the nature and meaning of rejection as well as words of encouragement for their fellow authors on those days when the rejections roll in too many at a time.

Along with the seven stories from our anchor authors Samuel R. Delany, Robert J. Sawyer, Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta, Gregory Norman Bossert, Jean Marie Ward, William Joseph Roberts, and David Boop, we also have an original essay from Robert Silverberg, and a foreword by Neil Clarke, the editor and publisher of Clarkesworld Magazine.

Finally, there are also thirteen original stories slushed from our open call by Christopher Blake, Laurence Raphael Brothers, Marie Croke, Sam Harris, Andrew Jackson, Stephen Kotowych, Rich Larson, Sam Loiaconi, Amelia Dee Mueller, Sam W. Pisciotta, Erica Ruppert, Paul Dale Smith, and Catherine Wells.

Kevin J. Anderson has published over 140 books, over 50 of which have been on US and international bestseller lists, and he has more than 23 million books in print worldwide. Anderson's first novel, "Resurrection, Inc.," was published in 1988 and nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. His 1993 collaboration with Doug Beason, "Assemblers of Infinity," was nominated for both a Nebula and Locus Award. In 2014, his novel "Dark Between the Stars," the first book of The Saga of Shadows trilogy, was nominated for a Hugo Award. He is also co-founder of WordFire Press with his wife and co-author Rebecca Moesta, who have a story in Intergalactic Rejects.

Samuel R. Delaney is an SFWA Grandmaster, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and holder of many other literary lifetime achievement awards. He is the Nebula Award winner for his novels "Babel-17" and "The Einstein Intersection." He is also a multiple Hugo Award nominee. His "Return to Nevèrÿon" series includes "Tales of Nevèrÿon," a collection of six sword and sorcery stories nominated for a Locus award and a finalist for the National Book Award for Science Fiction. He is also a prolific writer of short stories, including the one published in Intergalactic Rejects.

Storm Humbert is the Executive Editor of Roan & Weatherford's Dragonbrae imprint, which handles all of the publisher's adult sci-fi and fantasy. He is also the Managing Member of the Calendar of Fools small press, the publisher of Intergalactic Rejects and Inner Workings. Storm earned an MFA from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he had the opportunity to study under Samuel R. Delany, an author featured in Intergalactic Rejects. Storm is also a winner of the Writers of the Future contest with his story published in Volume 36 of their annual anthology.