Well, this has been a weekend. It’s the first one in a couple where we’ve not had a lot on in terms of activities, but I’ve had it down as the time when I’d hoped to finish both Godlike Machines and Eclipse Two, as well as do some other stuff. As I write this, it’s about 4pm on a rainy Perth Sunday. It deluged earlier, while Marianne and the girls were out at the girls’ football practice game. While they were out I checked in with Terry Dowling about his new Wormwood story, with consultation from Lou Anders bought the first story for Conquering Swords, bought a final story for another project, and pretty much laid both anthologies to rest. Just as soon as I’ve signed off on the final details, I’ll post tables of contents etc here. I am, at the end of the day, happy with both books and am getting ready to move into that phase of things when I worry about what everyone else will think. The introduction’s are done (I don’t overlike them, but I never do), the stories are picked (I like them, and love some of them), and I’m ready for them to off and become books.
I had meant to blog more about some books I’ve been reading.  As I’ve mentioned here, I read and loved Ken Scholes’ Lamentation. Loved it enough, in fact, to have started harrassing him to let me have a sneek look at the second book (I can’t wait a year for it). I’ve also started two other books – Greg Bear’s City at the End of Time and John Scalzi’s Zoe’s Tale. More on those as I progress.
And from here? Well, in three weeks Marianne’s brother and his family arrive to stay with us for two weeks. It should be a lot of fun, but first we need to empty a large room that’s been stacked with boxes since we moved in here six years so that they have some hope of having somewhere to sleep. That should occupy the next two weeks. At exactly the same time I have to write a resume and job application – I work for the public service and it’s time to apply for my job again. This is the first time in 19 years I’ve faced a full job interview, and I’m a tad nervous. However, that should be resolved by the time the family get here. They head home on July 17, I think, and then two weeks later I get on a plane for the US. So, it’s house and job, family and holiday, then panel preparation and travel. In the background, reading for the year’s best is picking up. As always, interesting times. Hmm. Must remember to ask Sharyn for a galley of her Firebirds antho – what else would I want to read when flying across America?