The anthology was conceived as a sister volume to the classic Sword and Sorceress fantasy series originally edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, with the main difference being that the story themes will involve science fiction instead of fantasy, and they will be intended for a more mature audience, allowing a mixture of serious contemporary issues and reasonable sexual content (but no erotica) in addition to action and adventure. The stories will have a stronger focus on the interface between scientific exploration and our sense of wonder.
I wrote the first version of this story around 2002 and it has been through many rewrites since, including two for this anthology. The original title was Bog, which is the name of the city in which it is set, but I dropped that title last year for something a bit more evocative. I chose part of the last line of the song "I Ain't Got Nobody," as sung by Bessie Smith. When you read the story, you'll get the pun.
Once I was a loving gal,
as good as any in this town
but since my daddy left me,
I'm a gal with her heart bowed down.
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