Local Author Dean Whitlock reads “Deep Blue Jump”
**Rescheduled due to weather – new date April 10**
On Wednesday, April 10 at 7:00 p.m., the Peabody Library will host Thetford author Dean Whitlock, who will read the opening scenes of “Deep Blue Jump”, his latest novelette, which has been included on the Recommended Reading List for 2023 by Locus Magazine. Founded in 1968, Locus has become the de facto Publishers Weekly of the SF&F genre, the place fans, editors, and agents go to for reviews and news, so it’s a big honor to be included on this annual list. The reading will be followed by a Q&A session with Whitlock, following which he will finish reading the story to those who wish to stay. (An uninterrupted reading would take about an hour.)
“Deep Blue Jump” was published in the September/October 2023 edition of Asimov’s SF Magazine, and the editors have now made it available to read online for free (along with the five other 2023 stories Asimov’s published that made it onto the Locus list).
Most people know Whitlock for his Middle Grade and Young Adult novels, but “Deep Blue Jump” deals with serious adult themes, including human trafficking and substance abuse. Parents should know that it is appropriate for older teens in their final years of high school but not for younger ages.
Copies of Whitlock’s books, including his story collection, Iridescent Dreams, will be available to purchase at the event. Unfortunately, the collection was published a year before “Deep Blue Jump” was written, but his other stories have all been well received.
The reading will also be available via Zoom. Email librarian@thetfordlibrary.org for the link.