Well, reading for The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Vol 2 stops on 1 October.  That gives me 28 days to nail the contents for the book. I’m very, very happy with the fantasy that I’ve read, and I’ve even read some great horror, but I’m reading SF eagerly looking for great stories to round out that part of the book. If you have any suggestions, drop me an email. I know it’ll come together, and overall I think it’s been an excellent year, but this is where I need to focus. Of course, it’s crazy time at the zoo here, with more things going on that you can shake a stick it, but that’s how it goes. I’m mostly trying not to think about it.  Basically, the work schedule from here is read for three weeks (except for the mildly terrifying notion of a pile of proofreading dropping through the front door), go to Conflux, come back and assemble the final manuscript for the book. That gives me from October 2 to October 21 to write the story notes and main intro, before I get on the plane for the US. If I can do that, I can read over the interstitial stuff in San Francisco, and leave it with the Night Shade guys when I head for Manhattan. The key here is that there’s no wiggle room. The book must be finished by the day after World Fantasy. No wiggle room at all. Yay. I’m feeling very relaxed .