Dead Worlds
"Dead Worlds" was my first professional sale and came after many years of trial and mostly error. The original idea occurred to me way back in college, at which time I did a fine job of butchering it. This version is better. It not only was my first pro sale it managed to make the Sturgeon Award short list and Gardner Dozois' Year's Best volume.
Featured in
Gardner Dozois' Year's Best SF, 21st Edition
Asimov's Science Fiction, June 2003