Well, I’ve just about completed selecting the contents for The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume 3. I’m running behind, of course, but 95% of the authors on my first round wish list have been notified and most of them seem happy to have their stories reprinted in the book, which is very pleasing.  From here, I need to nail down the last 5% of the book’s contents, write an introduction and story notes, and get the manuscript to the publisher for the week after Calgary’s World Fantasy Convention.  I have some very, very slight hopes that I might have an ms. before I fly out for Canada, but the odds are long indeed on that. I probably won’t release the contents list until everything’s contracted and delivered, but when I can, I’ll post it here.
What it does mean, though, is that I can take a breather from reading short fiction.  I need to start working on the final first draft of the Locus Short Fiction Recommended Reading list, and then get it out to all of our commentators for their input (which is always vital, important and has a major impact on the final list), but I don’t have to read any short fiction for a little while.  I can read novels for a month or two, and I’m looking forward to it.  No, this doesn’t mean new short fiction isn’t coming in.  I’ve already got magazines and anthologies on hand for 2009, and will get to them in the coming month or so.  Yes, it does mean, though, that if I haven’t seen something from 2008 it’s too late. I may be able to roll one or two very late things over to 2009, but mostly I’ve read everything I can find, and I’ll have to hope that will be enough (as I do every year).

There are a lot of people to thank for their help and input into the year’s best, but this year I’d especially like to thank Alisa, Ben, Alex and Tansy at Not if You Were the Last Short Story on Earth.  They really helped keep me honest, keep me motivated, and provided a great sounding board when I needed it.  I’m very, very grateful that they’ve let me play in their sandpit and would have struggled far, far more to compile the book if I hadn’t had their valuable, intelligent and considered input.  Thanks to each of you!!