I probably shouldn’t be so delighted about this, but CJ Cherryh writes in her journal that she has finished the latest Foreigner book and is now going back to the Cyteen sequel that she started last year. I don’t know how this will work out in publishing terms – I actually think this one might be coming out from my wonderful editor Diana Gill, but I’m not sure – but if all goes well it should be out in the first half of 2008. That’s forever away, but it’s also when I’ll be taking my big break from the day job, and I can’t wait.

There are many reasons why I’ve been quiet since getting back from the US. The first would be the non-stop flu that I’ve had, which has kept me both slightly miserable and overly tired. It’s not broken yet, but pfeh to it. The second would be the head’s-down backside-up approach for The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, which I’m working on diligently right now. The other reason is I’ve just been almost comically unable to write. Don’t know why, but it’s killing my schedule. I need to get a book introduction finished (and will this weekend), and have nightmares at the the thought of going back to book reviewing. What would I say? Gah.

On that, a far too brief recommendation. While I was traveling in the US – losing pretty much a full month’s work along the way – I managed to read two novels: Ellen Kushner’s The Privilege of the Sword and John Scalzi’s The Android’s Dream.  Both deserve much more intelligent, quotable recommendations than the one’s I’m about to give them, but still…. While jetlagged, tired, depressed and miserable these two books lifted my spirits and gave me joy and delight. In many ways both of them are confections, amusements, the kind of tales you read with guilty pleasure, realising there is no homework here, only rousing adventure, quick wits and far too much fun. Kelly Link’s described Ellen’s novel as Georgette Heyer meets Dumas, and that sounds about right: D’Artagnan’s niece adventuring in the land of the seemingly dissolute and crazy. I loved Swordspoint, was slightly less enamoured of The Fall of the Kings, and loved this one. I still think her best novel is the superlative Thomas the Rhymer, but Privilege was a delight. As to Android: it was unlike The Ghost Brigades and Old Man’s War in just the right way – funnier, less Heinleinesque, and better. I liked the two earlier novels very much, and will read The Last Colony when I can, but The Android’s Dream is a peach, the perfect sci-fi summer beach read (if that makes sense).  So, many thanks to both Ellen and John. I’ll be waiting for their next novels, and you should be running out to get these.

I should have known it, of course. And up to a point I did. Going on the road for a month, attending WorldCon and doing family stuff, effectively meant a month of lost work time. I intended to get the introduction to The New Space Opera written (I didn’t, but it’s almost done now), I intended to read lots and lots of short fiction (nothing, not a single story), and I intended to keep up with Locus. As I type, I am late with the intro, have an enormous tsunami of short stuff to read and need to proofread Locus over the next day or two. Busy, busy, busy.

The real problem here, of course is that I have no self-discipline and two little kids who also need time. Not sure how it’s going to work out, but go buy Ellen & Terri’s Salon Fantastique. It’s terrific.

Note: Amended to reflect the fact that Salon Fantastique has two fabulous editors, not just one.

There’s a discussion going on about Locus’s reviews of Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling’s fine anthology, Salon Fantastique, over on the Night Shade boards. I’ve lost my password so I can’t post there, so I thought I’d put my response here for the moment:

PM: It seems to me that it’s implicit in your question that reviewing every story in an anthology, collection, or issue of a magazine is a desirable thing. While in many cases this may be true, it’s also the case that there’s little or nothing useful to be said about a given story, and so it’s perfectly reasonable not to mention it. I’d also say that Locus’s review staff is the best in the field today. I have no desire to tie their hands with unnecessary restrictions. Rather, having agreed what is to be reviewed and the space limitations involved, I prefer to give them as free a hand as possible. That said, on rare occasions I’ve asked for changes, and have even edited some reviews to remove unnecessary coverage of some stories. In the case of Salon Fantastique, I was pleased with the coverage of the book that the two reviews provided. Between Rich and Nick, I felt that the book was very well handled for the magazine. As to your specific questions: I have no objection to all of the stories in a book or magazine being reviewed, but I’m not looking for it either. If a reviewer feels that the best approach to the book or magazine is to review every story, and they can do the job well within the magazine’s length restrictions, then I’m happy with that for the most part, but it’s not necessary. As to publishing online: Mark Kelly does a great job editing Locus Online and I wouldn’t presume to comment on what he does, but Locus magazine isn’t looking to publish reviews online at the moment. Jonathan

And it’s Marianne’s birthday today!

And there are more photos over at www.flickr.com/photos/jonathanstrahan