Monthly Archives: June 2004

The first review for the Locus anthology… I’m fairly sure it’s ok to do this. I just got a copy of the first review of The Locus Awards, a starred review from the American Library Association’s trade journal, Booklist. It’s not bad at all. ……………………………………….. Booklist, July 2004 **** The Locus Awards: 30 Years of … Continue reading »

And next… For all that the list on the side of the blog says that I’m knee-deep in New Crobuzon, the truth is that I’m really starting to knuckle down and get short fiction reading done. I’ve got five months to get two ‘year’s bests’ finished, and will probably have the first really serious discussions … Continue reading »

Behind the rain, on the other side of the sky Well, it took me a week, but I reached the end of an epic journey last night, completing Susanna Clarke’s enchanting first novel, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. And, for all that there were moments when I felt all too aware of the book’s length, … Continue reading »

Year’s bests… I’m only too well aware that talking about reviews of your own books – responding to them in any way, really – is a tricky and, for the most part, ill-advised business. That said, the couple of responses to Science Fiction: Best of 2003 that I’ve seen have, for the most part, been … Continue reading »

I’m in the middle of reading Susannah Clarke’s first novel, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, which is a fearsomely long fantasy novel. When the advanced reader’s copy arrived a week or so ago I noticed that the front cover was black, the back was white, and the spine was half black/half white. Now, originally, I’d … Continue reading »