A life-long science fiction reader, Lou Antonelli turned his hand to writing fiction in middle age; his first story was published in 2003 when he was 46. Since then he has had 86 short stories published in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, in venues such as Asimov's Science Fiction, Jim Baen's Universe, Dark Recesses, Andromeda Spaceways In-Flight Magazine, Greatest Uncommon Denominator (GUD), and Daily Science Fiction, among others. His steampunk short story, "A Rocket for the Republic", was the last story accepted by Dozois before he retired as editor of Asimov's Science Fiction after 19 years. It was published in Asimov's in September 2005 and placed third in the annual Readers' Poll.His story "Great White Ship", originally published in Daily Science Fiction, was a 2013 finalist for the Sidewise Award for alternate history.His collections include "Fantastic Texas" published in 2009; "Texas & Other Planets" published in 2010; and "The Clock Struck None" and "Letters from Gardner", both published in 2014.He is a professional journalist and the managing editor of The Daily Tribune in Mount Pleasant, Texas. A Massachusetts native, he moved to Texas in 1985 and is married to Dallas native Patricia (Randolph) Antonelli. They have three adopted furbaby children, Millie, Sugar and Peltro Antonelli.