Larry Hodges Science Fiction & Fantasy Page     March, 2010
Here is my Table Tennis page

Active Life Member, SFWA • Email • Table Tennis Page
Science Fiction & Fantasy Sales (37+3 resales+12 twitter sales) • Published Articles (1208 in 101 publications)
F&SF Writing page - all you need to know about writing SF & Fantasy

I'm a table tennis player/coach/writer/organizer and a science fiction & fantasy writer. My table tennis page can be found here.

I did the final rewrite and proofing of my SF novel, "Campaign 2100." The final version is 115,000 words, or 586 pages double spaced. I'm now sending queries to prospective agents. Meanwhile, I've had a rash of sales! I've had 21 since last summer.

Here's the Table Tennis Book Signing at the USA Nationals, Dec. 17, 2009. See six table tennis authors!

I've been on the cover of six science fiction or fantasy magazines:

Magazines with my name on the cover - click to see full-sized versions!

My third book, "Table Tennis Tales & Techniques," 274 pages, came out in mid-February, 2009. Read the review! I'm in the U.S. Table Tennis Hall of Fame - call it my day job. Here's an online video the Washington Post did of me coaching.

I was interviewed online by Community Fridays on Friday, Nov. 7, 2008. The interviewer, Emma Larkins, asked for the interview after one of the panels I was on at the Capclave SF Convention.

Recent sales, since May of 2008 - see full listing (37 stories) at bottom of page.

  1. "Bonesy" to New Myths, on Aug. 31, 2009. It's my 37th sale, plus three resales and twelve 140-character "Twitter" sales.
  2. "The Meteor Always Strikes Once," on Aug. 30, to Aoife's Kiss
  3. "The Meteor Always Strikes Once," on Aug. 30, to Beyond Centauri - a double sale! (See above.)
  4. "Memory of a Minefield" to Hypersonic Tales, on Aug. 20.
  5. "Mummy at the Bat" to Beyond Centauri, on July 15.
  6. "Raiders of the Ballot Box" to Atomjack Magazine, on July 8, 2009
  7. "An Earlier Inconvenient Truth" to Hypersonic Tales, on May 25, 2009.
  8. "Microsorce" to Flashing Swords Magazine, on March 30, 2009.
  9. "In the Belly of the Beast" to Flashing Swords Magazine, on March 30, 2009.
  10. "Reality Pills" to Alienskin Magazine, on Feb. 17, 2009.
  11. "The Dashing Dash" to Calliope Magazine, on Feb. 13, 2009.
  12. "Dirty Socks" to Calliope Magazine, on Feb. 11, 2009.
  13. "Pens and Pain" to Alienskin Magazine, on Dec. 13, 2008.
  14. "A Tale of Two Wizards" to Arkham Tales, on Nov. 21, 2008.
  15. "Jackpot World" to Space & Time, on Nov. 5, 2008.
  16. "Mummy at the Bat" to Spacesuits and Sixguns, on Oct. 11, 2008. (Magazine closed before publication....)
  17. "Dead Mass" to Space Westerns, on Aug. 16, 2008. This is a resale of a previously published story.
  18. "Dragon Cuisine" to Aoife's Kiss, on Aug. 16, 2008.
  19. "Omen of the Oven" to Necrograpny Magazine, on Aug. 15, 2008.
  20. "Eternity and the Devil" to the Dark Portals Anthology, on May 16, 2008.
  21. "The Haunts of Albert Einstein" to On the Brighter Side on May 3, 2008.

I traveled a lot in 2008 and 2009 for my SF writing:

I've essentially been a full-time writer & editor for many years (1208 published articles in 101 different publications, and three books), focusing on the Olympic sport of table tennis, a rather unique niche. (I'm in the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame, primarily for my work as a writer, editor, promoter and coach, although I've won a number of national and state titles; here's my table tennis page.) My first book, Table Tennis: Steps to Success, has sold over 28,000 copies and is in six languages.

I returned from a 14-year fiction writing break  in 2005. Before that, four of my best were published in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine, one of the nicer and higher paying fantasy magazines until it closed in 2000. Three of the best are online - see links below. Four of the sales were in what SFWA defines as pro markets. (Three pro SF&F sales, or a SF&F book sale to a major publisher, are required for active SF&F membership.) Early on, most of my best work was humorous fantasy. I've gradually moved toward more theme-oriented work, although often with a humorous side.

Workshops
I've attended a number of F&SF writers workshops. Workshops I've attended include:

Tribulations of the Past (and Future?)
Like many others, I went through a stage where I wrote and wrote, but nothing sold. From around 1986 to 1989, I wrote countless short stories, none of which sold. It's not easy, since the pro markets I was submitting to publish less than 1% of what they receive. Then, late in 1988, it all came together, and I sold eight stories in the next two years. Recently I pulled out all the old stories that hadn't sold - 47 of them! - and spent two days reading over them. They were horrible! In the end, I found one good one (which I've since rewritten), three that are possibly salvageable, and 43 that were ... well ... think Fahrenheit 451.

Non-Fiction
I've been a full-time writer and editor for many years, with three books and 1208 published articles in 101 different publications. (My first published article was in 1977, when I was 17.)  Table Tennis: Steps to Success (over 28,000 copies sold in English, plus unknown number of foreign sales) has been translated into Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Malaysian and Hebrew and is now selling all over the world. My third book, Table Tennis Tales & Techniques, came out in February, 2009. My first book was Instructor's Guide to Table Tennis, an official coaching book for USA Table Tennis.

Miscellaneous
I'm 49, and have a master's degree in Journalism, and a bachelor's in math (minors in chemistry and computer science), both from University of Maryland. Besides table tennis, I also play regular tennis, where I've achieved a 4.0 level. I spend most of my free time reading fantasy & science fiction, history, and playing with my dog, Sheeba. I'm also a Baltimore Orioles baseball fan . . . unfortunately.

A Few Fun Links

Science Fiction & Fantasy Sales (37, plus 3 resales, plus 12 "Twitter" sales)
Story Magazine Issue Notes

12 Twitter Stories

Thaumatrope

Dec 14, 18, 27, 2008;
Jan 03, 10, Oct. 13, 20, 2009, one forthcoming

Twitter stories are 140 characters or less, about 20-25 words.

Tweet the Meat

Dec. 21, 2009, Feb. 18, 2010; one forthcoming

Nanoism

Jan. 22, 2010
Mummy at the Bat Beyond Centauri Scheduled April, 2010 The tongue in cheek yet poignant tale of a non-speaking, baseball-loving mummy with supernatural skills, and the difficulties he faces in trying to make it to the major leagues.
The Meteor Always Strikes Once Beyond Centauri Scheduled July, 2010 The story starts with the main character's fortune from a Chinese fortune cookie saying, "A meteor will kill you in five minutes." It's possibly the only talking meteor story ever written.
The Meteor Always Strikes Once Aoife's Kiss Scheduled June, 2010 See above - the story sold to both magazines at the same time, since they have the same editor and he wanted the story in both. (Different audiences - Beyond Centauri is primarily a youth magazine.)
In the Belly of the Beast Flashing Swords Scheduled Fall, 2009; magazine closed before publication

A wizard with a unique method of slaying dragons is swallowed by his dragon prey. While in the dragon's stomach, he must protect and save himself, his daughter, and others, all of whom have also been swallowed, while keeping a terrible secret from his daughter. She hates her father, who abandoned her when she was a child; despises the inept wizard; and along with the others in the dragon's belly, is waiting to be rescued by a famous dragonslayer who is on his way. What she doesn't know (but reader does) is that all three are the same person. Features the only battle between a wizard and a warrior in the belly of a dragon in history.

Microsorce Flashing Swords Scheduled Fall, 2009; magazine closed before publication

When the world's computers are run by sorcery, and the corporations are run by sorcerers, a hostile takeover takes on a new meaning.
Bonesy New Myths Magazine December, 2009

Bonesy is the story of a man whose skeleton came alive when he was a boy. At first they are great friends. Problems arise when the skeleton goes crazy . . . and wants out.
Eternity and the Devil Dark Portals Anthology December, 2009 My name is on the cover! Basically a twist on the "Deal with the Devil" story. A physicist sells his soul so he can make discoveries that will benefit mankind. When the Devil shows up and takes him to Hell, the scientist escapes into the future in a time machine - and with numerous stops, goes a trillion years into the future, pursued by the Devil. At each stop, he is surrounded by billions of systematically tortured souls in Hell - including his long-suffering girlfriend, who he is determined to save.
The Dashing Dash Calliope Magazine December, 2009 Hands down, it's the best punctuation....
Dead Mass Space Westerns October, 2009 This was a resale; see sale to Beyond Magazine below.
Memory of a Minefield Hypersonic Tales September, 2009 Has an audio reading!
A woman tries to save her child. To do so, she not only has to live and relive her life, but the entire life of the universe over and over to do so!
A Tale of Two Wizards Arkham Tales August, 2009

My name is on the cover! It's the story of the two greatest wizards of the ancient world, Zuku and Death himself. The two face off along with their vast armies in a final, desperate struggle, but due to betrayal (Death offers Zuku's troops immortality, life insurance and other benefits), Zuku loses and is trapped in a bottle at the bottom of the ocean for 5000 years. En route to freedom, he battles a coke bottle recycling plant, a great white shark, and a jumbo jet, and finally meets up with Death in his new offices in the Trump World Tower in modern day New York City. He also finds his mom, her spirit trapped in a sword, and his dad, transformed into a sea turtle. They battle Death and his army - tottering old men after 5000 years, but still very much alive - in a battle that ends in the space shuttle.
Raiders of the Ballot Box Atomjack August, 2009 A satire on the fixing of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election using self-aware computer viruses. About one-third of the story is from the point of view of one of the viruses.
An Earlier Inconvenient Truth Hypersonic Tales June, 2009 A satire on global warming and spoof of the documentaries "An Inconvenient Truth," "Super Size Me," "Sicko," "Bowling for Columbine," and "Fahrenheit 9/11," all told from a dinosaur's point of view, 65 million years ago.

They have an audio version, so you can just listen as they read it to you! Reading time is 5 min 17 sec. (Make sure to keep listening after the explosion - there's a short scene after that.)
Omen of the Oven Necrography Spring, 2009 A psychic immortal witch, in a wedding dress she took from her lunch that day, cooks a child for her upcoming dinner date, with full details on the temperature and time needed, and herbs, spices and veggies that go with it. The front of the oven is caked with grime, but she keeps seeing images through the oven's window. Since she often sees the future, she keeps cleaning the window, trying to get a better look. And when she finally sees what's inside, she gasps in shock and horror. Then a hand from behind clutches her shoulder, she screams, and....
Jackpot World Space & Time Spring, 2009 What happens if, on one hundred million identical universes, an interdimensional traveling alien is mugged by Wayne, an armed and unhappy criminal, and all of these aliens in all of these universes transport the attacking Wayne to the same Earth in one universe - ours? Yes, it's the dreaded Multi Accedo Scenario!

"...the 'whammy' is so mind-blowingly delicious I would never dream of ruining it here or in any of the hundreds of millions of alternate realities where I am also typing this review." SFReader, April, 2009

"...a sly little SF tale of an alien named Songo from an alternate reality..." Tangent Online, Summer, 2009
Reality Pills Alienskin April/May, 2009 What if that psychedelic vision - say, of a charging Tyrannosaur - isn't a vision?
Dragon Cuisine Aoife's Kiss March, 2009 My name is on the cover! A young dragon prince rebels against an arranged marriage, as there is another he wishes to marry. He leaves home, and starts up his own kingdom in the far north. He battles spiders, bears and food (humans, the cuisine in the title) with no problem, but falls victim to a wizard's spell that slowly turns the giant dragon into a giant frog. He faces many tribulations trying to find a suitable human princess to kiss so as to turn himself back, all while hopping about and smacking warriors with his tongue instead of the flame he's used to using.

"Dragon Cuisine . . will tug at your heartstrings and leave you rolling with laughter in the aisles." Expressions, March, 2009

"This was a very different kind of story and quite interesting." SF Revu, April 27, 2009
Defeating Death Weird Tales February, 2009 This is  the story of Paulie, a sorcerer's owl, a species of owl that lives out its life in the robes of mostly unwilling sorcerers. Paulie makes his home in the robes of the most powerful sorcerer in the world, where they battle each other, the postal service, and Death himself, all while trying to figure out why the rooms in their house keep disappearing. Oh, and there's a zombie in the guest room.
Pens and Pain Alienskin February, 2009 What happens when an alien gourmet came to Earth to live off our pain, with the aid of a rather sophisticated pen?
Mummy at the Bat Spacesuits and Sixguns Was scheduled for February, 2009, but magazine closed. The tongue in cheek yet poignant tale of a non-speaking, baseball-loving mummy with supernatural skills, and the difficulties he faces in trying to make it to the major leagues.
The Haunts of Albert Einstein On the Brighter Side January, 2009 Poor Albert Einstein is destined to haunt his old offices in Princeton for eternity, surrounded by the ghosts of bickering physicists who simply will not shut up. What can he do to save himself from this fate?
Dirty Socks Calliope Magazine Winter, 2009 All about socks and rocks....
Ghosts of Cretaceous Park Abyss & Apex Second Quarter 2008 (May) Possibly the world's first dinosaur ghost story. Billionaire brothers fight for control of a ghostly dinosaur park, the scene of murder mysteries in the present and 70 million years ago. I've found three reviews, all very positive:

"...pretty much a shaggy dog story (or perhaps a shaggy dino story), but it does its job assuredly." The Fix, June 3, 2008

"Five stories, the picks of which are . . . and Larry Hodges' 'Ghosts of Cretaceous Park', the comic tale of a nasty real estate developer getting his comeuppance thanks to a dinosaur's ghost. One is thoughtful, the other more light-hearted, but both reach their intended targets." Reading By the Moon, June 1, 2008

"The newest issue of online magazine Abyss And Apex is #26 with some well-written stories, all of which got a Very Good from me." SF Revu, May 30, 2008
Counting Sheep Beyond Centauri January 2008 My name is on the cover! An autistic man constantly counts sheep and never sleeps--but is he more than he seems?
Happily and Righteously Blood, Blade & Thruster December, 2007 Story was third in the Blood, Blade & Thruster "Conspiracy" short story contest. If you believed assassins and deadly green aliens were trying to kill you, and you were right, wouldn't you die happily and righteously?

"Do not read this story while under the influence of any mind altering drugs . . . Scratch that. Only read this story while under the influence of mind altering drugs." -Nathaniel Lambert in online comment
There Once Was a Cowboy Space Westerns November, 2007 First place in the Space Westerns Limerick Contest! Does this count as a short story sale? Well, it's short, it tells a story, and it's a sale!
Ping-Pong Ambition Sporty Spec: Games of the Fantastic November, 2007 A table tennis player gets stuck in a ping-pong ball for 10,000 years, where he studies to be a genie - only to discover a surprising truth.

"Ping-Pong Ambition is a fun take on the genie-who-gives-three-wishes story. The tropes are familiar, but the light tone and twist ending make this an entertaining read." The Fix, Jan. 27, 2008
Forever Underfoot Afterburn SF September, 2007 For billions of years, two tiny gnome-like creatures have run the devices that keep the universe running - time, gravity, light, entropy, etc. However, a terrible accident and a clumsy human cop lead to disaster. Can the one surviving gnome save the universe from eternal limbo while learning the truth about himself and the universe?
Men Sin Capital M May, 2006 Capital M is the official magazine of Metropolitan Washington Mensa. I sent it to them since the story centers around a Mensa meeting. (Mensa is an organization for people with IQs in the top 2% of the population.) A Star Trek parody.
First Cat Twisted Cat Tales February, 2006 What happens when Earth is attacked by interdimensional beings, and the only one who can save the planet is the befuddled U.S. president's temporarily super-intelligent cat?

     Then there was that 14-year break from writing science fiction & fantasy. . . .
Dead Mass Beyond Issue #19, 1991 When your ship is out of power, and you absolutely have to get going in a hurry or everyone's going to die, what do you do? Ma to the rescue!!!
Rude Awakening Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Summer 1990 A short "flash" piece. After you die, if you want to be frozen and revived by future generations, better think things through!
Time to Diet Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Spring 1990 My name is on the cover! A dieting story about a flying carpet pilot with an impossible problem.

"We lost a good production assistant over this story, she thought it was insulting to every fat person in the audience. What do you think? As a diabetic, I'm a perpetual dieter, so I loved this." -Marion Zimmer Bradley in table of contents

Nuts and Bolts

Owlflight Magazine

Fall, 1989

What do you do when your telekinetic computer declares war on you?

Gremlin Gambits

 

 Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy
(Reprinted in a German Anthology)		 Summer 1989 My name is on the cover! The life of a writer when his computer is infected with practical-joking gremlins. (Hint: You'll need peanut butter.)

"Don't we all wish the writer's life was this easy! But this chap had his own troubles, even with a magical word processor - jkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjk." -Marion Zimmer Bradley in table of contents
Falling Apart Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Winter 1989 The "Featured Story"! A sorcerer's apprentice goes where he's not supposed to go, and literally falls apart. How will he put himself back together again?

"This story is indescribable - anything I said would have the words, but not the music. We all laughed until we thought our heads would fall off. Read it and see if you agree."
-Marion Zimmer Bradley in table of contents
Old Tuna Dark Starr March 1989 When the world is conquered by aliens, what happens to the dogs?
The Fish That Roared Starsong Magazine January 1989 You'll never look at goldfish the same way again!
Horse Dreams Atrocity Magazine December 1988 What do horses dream about?
Non-Fiction
Articles 1208 published articles in 101 different publications (circa March 1, 2010)
Books Table Tennis Tales & Techniques, 2009
  Table Tennis: Steps to Success, 1993; revised 2006; 28,000 copies sold, in six languages
  Instructor's Guide to Table Tennis, 1989; revised 2000