Going Down to Lucky Town

Charlie the Pearl--con man, gambler, and ever absent father--is about to catch the dream that he's chased his entire life--the secret of good luck. But it's a secret that could cost Charlie the only thing in the world that he loves more than a winning streak--his daughter.

A novelette about luck, love, and last chances from a multi-award winning writer.

REVIEWS

"There are echoes of Ellison and of Ray Bradbury, in this understated and deeply moving tale. ... [The father / daughter interaction] is handled with honesty and a real understanding of the complexity of a relationship between two individuals" --The Fix

"...packs a powerful emotional punch." --Dead Reckonings magazine

"Another great story, but I'm getting used to that [from Smith]. Deft handling of character and setting (gambling, cons, and the game of life)..." --SF Crowsnest

"...a bittersweet story about a con man with the talent to detect luck. ... The plot is wound up and then discharged with nicely inevitable narrative logic." --Locus

"Smith takes a simple idea and finds potential that many other writers would have overlooked in favor of some easier option. At the story's heart is the relationship between father and daughter, and the things they do to make this work, rendered with a singular care and tenderness." --Black Static Magazine

"An enjoyable tale filled with broken and repaired familial ties bound together by a father's love for his daughter." --Hellnotes

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

"Doug Smith is, quite simply, the finest short-story writer Canada has ever produced in the science fiction and fantasy genres, and he's also the most prolific. His stories are a treasure trove of riches that will touch your heart while making you think." --Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author

"One of Canada's most original writers of speculative fiction." --Library Journal

"A great storyteller with a gifted and individual voice." --Charles de Lint, award winning author

Douglas Smith is an award-winning Canadian author of speculative fiction, with over a hundred short story publications in thirty countries and twenty-five languages.

His collections include Chimerascope (2010) and Impossibilia (2008), as well as the translated fantasy collection, La Danse des Esprits (France, 2011). His first novel, The Wolf at the End of the World, will be released in 2013.

Doug has twice won Canada's Aurora Award, and has been a finalist for the international John W. Campbell Award, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Bookies Award, Canada's juried Sunburst Award, and France's juried Prix Masterton and Prix Bob Morane.

A multi-award winning film based on Doug's story "By Her Hand, She Draws You Down" will be released on DVD this year, and other films based on his stories are in the works. Doug's website is smithwriter.com and he tweets at twitter.com/smithwritr.

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