The final Locus Recommended Reading List for 2004 is now available online at Locus: Online. Working on the annual list is a major job that I get to work on each year, and it’s a real highlight. Books are set aside throughout the year, stories are noted and so on, and then things go crazy sometime in September. Draft lists get prepared, essays are requested, correspondence with editors, writers, critics and so on begins. Throughout September, October, November and into December lists are updated, revised and such, and then Charles gets on a plane. During the week around New Year’s he flies out to Australia and we sit in air-conditioned luxury at his hotel and begin sorting through lists, recommendations etc. and work towards the final, final lists. This year I think it took two or three recommendations minimum from Locus reviewers, critics etc to get on the list, and in some short fiction categories it took three and even four recommendations to make it.

And, for any potential flaws the list may have, I’m pretty proud of it. It’s a very honest list. I know there’s no trickery or flim-flammery. I’ll be very interested to see what everyone thinks of it. You can see it here. I should also mention that the annual Locus Poll and Survey is online too. Please, please fill it out. Especially the question about the best fantasy short stories of all time.