Don't forget "Saucy"!

We're gonna have fun...

Y’know, I thought about it, and I decided I just couldn’t live with saucy.

The Adventure House Pulp Title Index was invaluable in coming up with this list. There’s a chance I might have missed something good, but if it’s in there, I probably considered it.

I think you need the word "thrilling" in there: Thrilling All-Star Zeppelin Adventure Stories.

As for the other adjective, I think it depends on what types of submissions you want. I like "adventure" or "wonder". "Danger" feels limiting to me, and "zesty" makes me think of spaghetti sauce comercials.

I take your point about danger. When there’s a ballot, I’ll put that down as a “con.”

I like thrilling myself, but McSweeney’s just used it; and while I wouldn’t be ashamed of the association, I’d like it to be a little less direct.

Likewise, I left spicy out because I didn’t want to seem to claim that we were directly inspired by the 70s Spicy Zeppelin Stories — which, in any case, seems to have been more in the “parody” line than the “homage” line I want us to go for.

But, regardless, like Jay said, we’re gonna have fun.

Ha! I'd already started working on something as soon as you began kicking this around. Oh sure, I haven't actually finished it yet, but that's a minor detail. Really. Honest.

I frankly lean towards All-Star Racy Zeppelin Stories, but my tale is leaning towards being a bit racy (and not in an Around the World in Eighty Days kinda way).

I like adventure, simply because I like adventure stories.

And you definitely need to have an All-Star Robot Adventure Stories volume (although All-Star Giant Robot Adventure Stories might be even better).

Robots!! (Slaps forehead.) What was I thinking? Of course robots.

I like Adventure best, with Action and Wonder as runner-ups. I don't like racy for the exact same reason that Jon likes it. :)

That’s a mean thing to say when you haven’t even read Jon’s story yet.

I'm having a problem reading the tone of this thread, maybe, but I can't tell if there's an actual accusation of meanness on the table. Possibly more caffeine would help clear things up.

There is no actual accusation of meanness on the table. But I’m not sure what Jen means — I’m guessing it’s “The story I’m writing for the anthology is not racy“ rather than “I don’t want Jon to get his story published.”

(I’m having problems writing the tone of this thread. Possibly not having to juggle work on the day job, work on the novel, work on the anthology, and work on all the things I have to get done before I leave for England, and work on ordering equipment for the kendo club, would help.)

Well, David, I'll go to England for you if you think it would lighten your load. ;-)

Actually, no, cancel that winky. I will go to England for you. You know where I live. Send tickets.

David, I assumed that Jenn meant that too. At least, I didn't think she was mean, but you've got to work really hard to offend me. Years of public service on my side. (It's also important to remember I called her a tease, so fair's fair.)

Racy, not racy. Whatever. If necessary, I'll either tone down the racy parts or write something else.

Greg, more caffeine just isn't a good idea, it's the law.

Don’t spend too long on the raciness question whether or not it makes it into the title. Just write the best story you can write.

But of course.

Oops! Post something in a hurry, and look what happens!

All I meant was that "Racy" makes me think the anthology might contain erotica stories. I got the impression Jon was writing something with sex in it. I prefer the titles that do not imply such things.

Of course I want Jon to sell his stuff--he's saucy!

Okay, so now I'm worried that I said that wrong, too. I have no problem if stories in the anthology have sex in them. I just prefer an anthology title that doesn't imply they *all* have sex in them. (Unless, of course, they all do.)

That does it. I'm going to send David the inevitable zeppelin-as-penis story.

You're an evil woman, Jenn. That must be why I like you so much.

Greg, if you really do hope to get a story in this anthology, then I recommend you hold off on submitting that story until you hear whether I’m accepting multiple submissions.

Jenn, you may be doomed. If this is to be an homage to the pulps of the past, it may very well be the job of the title to imply sex — even if the stories themselves are no racier than, say, The Big Sleep.

That said, if we go with racy, you can count on me to use a type treatment for the title that will make it clear that the emphasis is not on racy, but zeppelin.

Anyhow, you will know when I edit an erotica anthology because I will not dare do it without first recruiting Mary Anne Mohanraj as my co-editor. :)

In truth, David, I couldn't dig such a story out of myself with a backhoe.

All-Star Racy Backhoe Stories. We can reprint “Mary Margaret Road-Grader.”

As well as Sturgeon's Killdozer, altho' it'd be a bit of a page hog.

What's funniest for me about this is that I actually did write and publish an erotic zeppelin story several years ago (at least, I think I did -- it was a dirigible; are they the same thing?). David, you open to reprints? It appeared in Puritan, a hard-core porn magazine, so there *probably* isn't much crossover audience. :-) It's an erotic romantic historical murder mystery. With a dirigible.

That might be a little too racy. But yes, a dirigible and a zeppelin are the same thing. (And I expect the guidelines will be loose enough to include blimps, too.)

I’m not really planning on accepting reprints unless that’s the only way for me to get a story from someone like Howard Waldrop or Walter Jon Williams. (And no, I don’t mean “someone whose last name begins with W.”)

Perhaps 'All-Star Racing Zeppelin Stories'?

ANNOUNCER: And they're coming around the bend... Yes, I can see them now... they're almost certainly coming around the bend!

(Pause for advertisements)

ANNOUNCER: They're almost around the bend, folks!

(Long Pause)

ANNOUNCER: It's 'Freud's Cigar' by less than a length, with 'Heated Argument' only 200 meters behind. 'Midnight Mail' has dropped to third, and 'Orson Welles' is in fourth, five kilometers back. The rest of the pack is still clearing the towers, but they should be underway soon. This is shaping up to be an exciting first lap of the Lana-Terzi 120!

I think that would be a little too narrow for a whole anthology, but I’d definitely be open to a good zeppelin-racing story.