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Historical Introduction

In September 1935, to celebrate its third anniversary, Fantasy Magazine published two versions (one science fiction, the other weird fantasy in style and content) of a story called "The Challenge from Beyond", built along the lines of the literary "round robin tale" - a story in which each chapter is from a different author.

The weird fantasy version of the "Challenge" round-robin was written in succession by C.L. Moore, Abraham Merritt, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard and Frank Bellknap Long .

On October 31th 2000 - roughly 65 years after the event - genial and affable Professor David Farnell, walking in the footsteps of Julius Schwartz (Fantasy Magazine editor and father of the "Challenge" idea) posted the Delta Green Mailing List.

Farnell is a Texan and proud of the fact as any man of his race, and he basically baited the local fictioneers with a proposal for a new "composite story" (to use Lovecraft's definition), in which each contributor would in turn take care of a chapter in a plot that was logical to anticipate as sprawling, horrifying and somewhat less than serious.

In his own words....

Now, with all the talented fictioneers on this list, we ought to be able to produce something at least as cool, so with that said I hereby announce

CHALLENGE FROM BEYOND 2000!!

a.k.a.

The DGML First Annual Open Round-Robin Fiction Project.

By "open," I mean that anyone on the DGML can join in. Even if you've never posted a story here--heck, even if you've never posted anything here--you can join. Of course, the regular fictioneers (even the ones who get paid for their work) are also encouraged to join.

(. . . .)

When it's all over, I'll do a quick spelling/grammar edit and then send it off to Agent Christopher and Dr. Dee for posting at the delta-green.com and Ice Cave sites. This is not a contest--no prizes will be awarded except for the final product itself, the beautiful (or ugly) child of the DGML.

Let's go to it.

Dave

Dave's baiting was exceedingly successful.

The rest, as they say, is history.

A word of warning: the following narrative is a modern horror fiction. Some situations and language might cause distress or offence to sensitive individuals. You have been warned.

Contributor List & Chapters Index

Miscellaneous Writings

A growing collection of odds and ends somehow related to the development of Challenge from Beyond 2000. Features author notes and bios, further annotations, comments, etc.

Currently available

The Challenge From Beyond 2000 Who's Who

All you need to know about characters that appeared in the story so far.

Annotations

Things to be expected (by Dave Farnell)
Foreword to Chapter One (by Mark McFadden)
Afterword to Chapter One (Mark McFadden)
Foreword to Chapter Two (by Edward Lipsett)
Foreword to Chapter Three (by Greg Wilson)
Foreword to Chapter Four (by Nick Brownlow)
Afterword to Chapter Five (buy Eckhard Huelshoff)
Technical Appendix to Chapter Nine (Expanded) (by Michael Layne)
For Those of You That Don't Remember (addendum to Chapter 11)

Collateral Fiction

All that Yadda Yadda (by Mark McFadden) - Annotated

Forthcoming

Afterword to Chapter One (by Mark McFadden)

Contributor Rules Recap

Since the first chapter and the final chapter will be rather crucial, proven "heavy hitters" will be put on those, but all other chapters will be assigned in the order in which applications are received.

When the chapter before yours gets posted on the list, you will have one week from then to write and post your chapter.

If for some reason you can't (you suddenly get assigned 60 hours of overtime or something), contact Dave Farnell he'll reassign you further down the list and notify the next person in line. If you don't contact me and your deadline expires, you'll be dropped from the project and the next person will take your chapter.

Post your chapter directly to the DGML as soon as it's finished.  So people can easily spot the story chapters, your subject line should start with [CfB2K] in brackets, then the chapter number, then the chapter title (optional--if you can't think of a chapter title, don't worry about it). (Example: "[CfB2K] 23: The Unbearable Impact of Rhodesian Jungle Rounds".) Be sure to put your name in the main body (top or bottom) so we can avoid confusion later.

Someone asked about chapter length. Rule of thumb: If it has to be made multi-part to avoid the size restrictions some servers have, then it's too long. And a single paragraph is too short, unless it's a damn good paragraph.

As for writing rules, there's not much. Only one thing: No "nuking" the story. That is, you can't just decide you don't like the way things are going and completely derail the storyline by blowing up the universe or having the main character wake up and realize it was all a dream or something. If you do want to change the storyline, fine, but do it in a more reasonable way. Deal with what has been written before. But otherwise, it's all open.

Don't worry too much about making it a work of high literature--you should be ready to watch the next guy trash all your fine work. That's how these things go; it's part of the fun. Get in that mindset ahead of time and don't get angry when your favorite character gets her head shot off. (You can always bribe another writer down the line to have her ressurected, I suppose--or you can just use her in a later story of your own.) None of this should be even remotely considered DG Canon--or even DGML Canon (if there is such a thing).

Legal mumbo-jumbo: By participating as a writer in this composite story you agree that: The whole story is owned collectively by all the writers. The story can be posted on Delta Green- and Lovecraftian-related websites and the websites of other writers in this project. Also, all writers in this project have the right to distribute the entire story when it is completed, as long as no money is to be made off it and it is distributed in complete and unmodified form, with credit for all participants included. On the tiny chance that some maniac offers one of us movie rights or a book deal or any other money for the story, that person is morally and legally required to contact the rest of the authors so we can bargain collectively. (Hey, it could happen. And byakhees could fly out of my butt.) If any writers in the project want to use in their own fiction any characters, plotlines, situations, or ideas that appear in the story, they are free to do so.

(If anyone with more background in copyright law wants to give me any suggestions for improving the above statement, feel free to do so.)

Established November 5th 2000

Updated March 28th 2001

Thanks to the Man in Black for creating the Challenge banner.
HTML coding by Davide Mana

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