I like a good blog post as much as the next person, which is why I’ve not been inflicting any of the one’s I’ve drafted over the past week or so on you to read. There are the whiney ones (I’m sick, I’m sick, I’ve got the flu/virus), the complaining ones (I’m too busy, too busy etc), the boring to anyone but me ones (my kids were so cute at their dance recital thing), and the possibly ill-advised ones (I’ve actually done a complete set of Coode Street Awards, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea), and so on.
So, what did I do instead? Memes. Pfeh on memes. I’ve sold two new books. This is cool. One is one that you expected, but I didn’t. After a very rocky genesis, I’m about to start sending out contracts for the fourth volume in the SF Book Club Best Short Novels anthology series. I’d really, really thought this one wasn’t going to happen, but it is, which is good. So, major thanks to Andy, Howard, and Sean for getting behind the book, and to Charles for his determination that it should happen.  The other book is also for Andy at the Book Club. I’m editing an anthology of six original science fiction novellas, tentatively called Godlike Machines, on the theme of ‘big dumb objects’. I think this one should be a lot of fun to do, and am about to send out invitations to writers. Should be fun. I’m also going to get clearance to announce the other project I’ve got going on. All good stuff.
Since I broke down and joined SFBC this year so that I could buy your SFBC-only anthology, I’m grateful that there will be more SFBC anthologies to justify my decision. I’d be interested in the Coode Street Awards, too, and also the cute kids at the dance recital. So far this week John Scalzi’s pictures of Athena and the pets and the tree are doing all the heavy lifting of getting me out of holiday funk. My 20-somethings are so absolutely not in evidence, just as you would expect of 20-somethings. And I’ve got impending surgery to look forward to in early January, so if you want to whine, please, please go right ahead. Your whines have got to be more interesting than the ones playing on a loop in my head right now. Rudy Rucker’s Mathematicians in Love is helping, though.
Yeah, dance recital stuff, please, at least. And I’m with Susan on the whining – it’s got to be better than the anxious- Christmas-list-making in my head. Nice to see you back, and some projects happening for you. Such a pity I only write about small, intelligent objects, tee-hee!
Hi!
Glad to hear Best Short Novels are continuing. I have all the others. I particularly enjoy novellas so a book of best novellas every year would be bought by me at least. You could improve it though. It could be a perfect ten by being even bigger. You know. Ten instead of nine. I’ll also probably buy your other book of novellas when it comes out. Continue the good work!