He has written novels in collaboration with the late Robert Asprin, including the pre-Katrina New Orleans mystery NO Quarter (DarkStar Books), and on his own, such as Nightbodies (Ravenous Romance). Readers can find out more about his work at www.ericdel carlo.com. Eric tells us that “Friendlessness,” a story of social isolation that is his Asimov's debut, is inspired by that rusty old saw: “Write what you know."Daric Dandry spent the final forty-two minutes of his fifty-five-month Friendship with Maddox Colburn pleading, with rapidly dwindling dignity, for Maddox not to leave him. Daric knew his last payment was running out. He couldn't afford Maddox anymore. But even so, he begged and sniveled at their familiar table at the retro coffeehouse.Maddox, of course, professionally maintained their Friendship for every one of those forty-two minutes, and so tried to comfort Daric. He flashed his dazzling, assured smile. He encouraged Daric toward nostalgic reminiscences—that wild trip to Reno they'd taken on impulse, the all-night movie and pizza marathons with gales of laughter interspersed by sober grace-note profundities.
What do You think about Asimov's SF, January 2012?
