Captain Quasar Will Return...
Back in September, I sent "Captain Quasar and the Coliseum of Queen Kronikthalia" to Every Day Fiction. In early December, the editors had this to say:
Editor 1: I liked the "Star Trek"-ish tone and feel of this story. I also liked Captain Quasar. He was a combination of James T. Kirk and Mal Reynolds all rolled into one. That said, it was sad we did not get to see him pull off the escape he planned. It made the ending very anti-climactic.
Editor 2: Captain Quasar stories are always a fun read, but this time his escape was not due to fortuitous forward planning, intelligence, wit, or even the timely intervention of Officer Wan. There was nothing to explain why a seemingly bloodthirsty race wouldn't go all the way to a kill.
Editor 3: Quasar's mission feels like it's some kind of relief effort, but then he mentions trading for reactor parts. I think a clearer understanding of what he was there for and how things got "misunderstood" would improve this piece.
Editor 4: The most interesting facet of the story was the mention of starving villagers; is the Queen a Marie Antoinette type who doesn't realize that her people are suffering, or just proud in the face of mass starvation, or actively encouraging a rift between haves and have-nots?
EDF is always great about providing feedback, whether or not they accept a story, and in this case, they invited me to resubmit after I addressed their concerns. I overhauled the ending with a stronger role for Quasar, more comedy, a clearer conflict, and a better resolution. I'm happy with the result, and so were the editors. I received word last week that Captain Quasar will return to EDF on January 28. Not a bad way to start the year!