It seems to me that ‘Notes from Coode Street’ has wandered far and wide from both its original purpose and its original tone. There are lots of reasons for this, most of which are important, but few of which are relevant. The recent posts about book covers and so on speak to this. So, I’ve been thinking. I’m yet to find a new look for the site that I’m happy with. I’m very bored with the old one, and will spend some time in the next month or two trying to find something else. In the meantime, I most likely will stick with this old, old one, which has the benefit of simplicity. I also intend to move back to the kind of things I used to post about. Great stuff I’ve read, interesting bits and pieces of info I’ve come across, that kind of thing. Onward, forward!

Hi all – If you’re readers of this blog, you’ll notice that my very unhappy posts about the Eclipse cover panel discussion at Wiscon aren’t readily apparent. I’ve decided to remove them (they still exist, they’re just not on the public site). I did this because I realise that they’re not helping anyone, and because the debate’s not about me. It’s not something I should have engaged with, and I regret that I did. I thank everyone for their support, and wish the Wiscon crowd a great convention. Thanks, Jonathan

I’ll review this properly when I’m done. Honest. But for the moment, I’ve never enjoyed reading a Wolfe novel more than this one.  I’m half way through, and it could go off the rails, but I don’t think it will.  So far it’s riveting. I’m just drawn back to it again and again, no matter what else is around.  Just magnetic.  It’s noir, and it’s smart and funny. Haven’t really got to the Lovecraft stuff, but I guess that’s in the second half.  But from here, I’ve no hesitation in saying you NEED to read this one.  Doesn’t matter if you like Wolfe’s other stuff or not. This is terrific.

I would like to repeat this information for people who might have missed it. Market digest Duotrope are incorrectly stating that Eclipse has reopened to submissions and is open till 18 May.  I do not know where the incorrect information came from, but I have asked for them to update their website urgently. In the meantime, unless I have directly solicited work from you, please do NOT send any submissions for Eclipse.  It is permanently closed.  I do apologise for any inconvenience this has caused, and am doing everything I can to get the information corrected.

This is an attempt to take lemons and make some lemonade. A question for the assembled minitude. What do you do when a project you’re working on goes tits up (thanks wikipedia for a description on that one)? There are all sorts of logical, sensible project managey things you should do. Assess what’s wrong. Work out what’s need to fix the problem, if indeed it’s fixable. Look at your project parameters. Amend them. Go forward and complete the project meeting qualitative and quantitative goals.

Now, do you do that? What I find I do is I panic. Then I get depressed. Followed, slowly, be resignation. Panic occurs pretty much at the same time as the problem. Depression occurs while I try to work out what to do about it. After depression comes resignation. And then, so far at least, everything comes together swimmingly. I could point to several projects where exactly this happened, specifically Eclipse One which was NOT the book I intended, but is nonetheless one I’m very proud of and happy with. I’m currently at the resignation phase with Eclipse Two. Pretty much everyone who could possibly drop out has done so. I’ve also dealt with a problem with another submission. I’m currently picking up some additional stories, and just bought another terrific one by Harry Turtledove, and got a cool commitment to deliver a story. I can’t quite see the light at the end of the E2 tunnel, but I now feel reasonably confident that it’s there. Which is good. I am also trying to absorb that this may be how it will always be with Eclipse. If so, I think I can survive it.