For those following such things, George Martin has announced (presumably with much relief) that A Feast for Crows is finished. Good on him!

well, the open reading period for eidolon is almost over – it ends tomorrow, wednesday 1 june – and we’ve received something like seventy five submissions (in addition to the ones we’ve solicited). we’re slowly working our way through them, and should start sending out responses over the next week.

i should add that, while the open reading period closes on 1 june, this doesn’t impact on arrangements we’ve made for stories we’ve solicited for the book.

Pete Crowther is one of the genre’s good people. He’s a fine editor, a terrific writer and, if all reports are true, a great guy I (we’ve not actually met). Yesterday I received a copy of his latest, Postscripts 3, which he edits along with Nick Gevers and assorted other talented folk.

Normally I would have set such things aside, because I really should be doing an enormous amount of other things instead, but … I wanted something to read. I flicked to the last story in the issue – I know you slave on getting running order right, but does anyone actually read that way – which is a Joe Hill story, “Best New Horror”. I’ve not read much of Hill’s work before, but I really liked this dark piece of fiction about a year’s best horror editor confronting true horror in the world. Made me wonder if Hill knows Steve Jones . Apart from recommending the story to some pals, it’s really made me look forward to Hill’s upcoming collection.

I should probably say here that I’ve read all three issues of Postscripts, and it’s evolving into a really interesting magazine that’s well worth your support. I think you can subscribe here, and you probably should. Pete’s stuff is good, and worth getting.

well, i did it. the tickets are bought and paid for. on thursday 14 july i fly out of perth for melbourne, arriving at around 8.30pm. robin’s on the same flight, which should be cool. i’m in town attending continuum across the weekend, and fly out at 6.10am on the morning of monday 18 july. short and sweet. i think i’m doing one panel item, and attending the voyager 10 celebrations, which should be very cool. i’ve got no other plans at the moment, except i’m hoping to have dinner with jack and janeen, and see richard and anne. i don’t know who else, at the moment, but i want to see everyone i can. should be lots of fun.

now, this is what i call a christmas present. sweeeeet.