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A new anthology will honor Arthur C. Clarke with 2,001-word stories

A new anthology will honor Arthur C. Clarke with 2,001-word stories

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2001: An Odyssey in Words is now funding on Kickstarter

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Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke would have turned 100 years old in 2017. Over the course of his long career, he left a legacy that science fiction authors still follow, by putting a premium on the scientific realism in his stories. A new anthology aims to honor the late author’s legacy by collecting a series of stories. Each story will have exactly 2,001 words, a reference to his most famous work, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The team behind the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award — an annual recognition for the best science fiction novel published in the UK — is assembling the anthology in partnership with NewCon Press. The anthology will honor the century of Clarke’s life and his works. The organizers say they “wanted to make sure that the scope of the anthology was as broad as the fluid definition of science fiction for which the Clarke Award is renowned, while still retaining a direct acknowledgment of Sir Arthur’s own work.”

The book features an impressive range of authors, including Becky Chambers (The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet), Yoon Ha Lee (Ninefox Gambit), Ian McDonald (Luna: New Moon), Alastair Reynolds (Revelation Space), Claire North (The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August), and more. The book will also feature nonfiction from the award’s chair of judges, Dr. Andrew M. Butler, and former jury member Neil Gaiman.

The book is currently funding on Kickstarter. Reward tiers include hardcovers, limited edition hardcovers, and editorial critiques.