I’ve just returned from Sydney, San Francisco, Montreal and Melbourne.  There’s way too much to report to fit into one post (and I’m awful at recording events), but one of the highlights was accepting the Hugo Award on behalf of Ted Chiang, whose brilliant short story “Exhalation” from Eclipse Two, was honored by the members of the World Science Fiction Society in the Best Short Story category.  I love the story and was delighted that it won.

The Hugo results were announced the day after I delivered Eclipse Three to Night Shade Books for an expected October 2009 publication (it should be out for World Fantasy).  There might be some tiny changes but the table of contents for the book is:

• The Pelican Bar, Karen Joy Fowler
• A Practical Girl Lotion, Ellen Klages
• Don’t Mention Madagascar, Pat Cadigan
• On the Road, Nnedi Okorafor
• Swell, Elizabeth Bear
• Useless Things, Maureen F. McHugh
• The Coral Heart, Jeffrey Ford
• It Takes Two, Nicola Griffith
• Sleight of Hand, Peter S. Beagle
• The Pretender’s Tourney, Daniel Abraham
• Yes We Have No Bananas, Paul Di Filippo
• Mesopotamian Fire, Jane Yolen & Adam Stemple
• The Visited Man, Molly Gloss
• Galápagos, Caitlín R. Kiernan
• Dolce Domum, Ellen Kushner

I’m also delighted to be able to show you the cover for the book, which was done by the late Richard Powers (1). It’s a peach. It’s the one on right in the trio of images above.  Oh, and yes, there will be an Eclipse Four! I’ve not had a chance to work anything much out about it yet, but it looks like it’ll definitely happen.  More on it soon.

1. I should note that, while the cover image is final, there are changes to be made to the cover text.  The names on the front etc will change since this tentative design was completed.  I’ll get the final up here when it’s done. Still, it looks v.cool!
2. Edited 23/08/09.  Author Ellen Klages has changed the title of her story from “Lotion” to “A Practical Girl”.

Well, I’m almost home. It’s been eighteen days and I’m sitting in the Qantas Lounge at Sydney Airport, killing a couple hours before my flight. It’s been a difficult but rewarding trip. Very little business done, but I did get to see people in Montreal, deal with some things in Oakland for Locus, and see friends here in Melbourne. All in all, worth the trip, though I’m tired and ready for home. I’ve got a quiet week ahead which will, no doubt, be eaten alive by other commitments, but that’s how that goes. I’m aiming for a slow reintroduction to real life, but we shall see.

Well, WorldCon is over. Congratulations to all of the Hugo winners, especially Ellen Datlow. Very, very well deserved. It’s been a long and difficult week for me, mostly for personal reasons I suspect. Nonetheless, it was good too see everyone and I’m allowing that I should be able to look forward to going to San Jose later in the year. Right now, though, I mostly want to get home. Still another week before that happens, though. Great friends in Melbourne will help, though. More soon!

It happened again.  No blogging.  I meant to. Honest. Since last we spoke, dear blog, I’ve had dinner with friends, traversed a continent, changed nations, and arrived in Montreal.  Much has happened.   A fun dinner with lots of people, lengthy time in the bar, an appallingly bad panel, some time in the disappointing dealer’s room and so on.

What do I remember right now? Well, it’s 8.30am and I have a breakfast thing in 30 mins.  Hmmm.  Standing outside a hotel while Neil Gaiman walked past, with him stopping to introduce his Clarion class who trailed behind him like chicks after a mother hen to the folk assembled outside between drinks.  Laughing more than I should with friends in the bar.  Dinner last night with Nalo Hopkinson, Geoff Ryman,  Ellen K etc., which was nice. Someone back home should get Ryman as a convention GOH.  Funny, intelligent, articulate brilliant man.   Um. Walking through Chinatown with Karen H, chatting with Bob, late night chats with Ellen, and so on.

Already there’s enough packed in around the alcohol and lack of sleep that I don’t know at I’m leaving out.  Stuff.  It’s busy, good, and odd.  More later.

I can’t even keep track of how long it is since I took that photo at the airport. 10am Friday. Well, it’s 6am Sunday, but there’s all kinds of dateline nonsense between here and there. Suffice it to say, it took waaaaaay longer to get here than you’d think. How was it?

Well, the flight from Perth was fine. Packed, but fine. I arrived at about 4pm, had time to do the online check-in thing at the airport before being picked up by Nick. Went back to his place and he showed off his awesome new toy art that he’s doing for his exhibition, and we nattered away until Terry, Kerry, Deb, Chris and Adrian all showed up. We then headed off to this terrific gourmet pizza place where we ate, drank, laughed and talked. Then back to Nick and Adrian’s for dessert and wine. It was a wonderful, wonderful evening.

Next morning I was up fairly early. Terry came over and we strolled through Paddington and found somewhere for brunch. It’s a stunning area – the only place in Sydney that I’ve seen where I’d love to live – and again we had the relaxed kind of easy conversation you only get with long time friends.

After that it was all good-byes and off to the airport again. The twelve and a half hour flight was fairly horrible. Cramped, unpleasant. I fell off the plane in San Francisco tired and just awfully depressed. This was jetlag, of course, but still… I was met by Amelia who was incredible and kind. We headed back to Oakland for a long lunch where, in a haze of jetlag driven funk I spoke much nonsense. Then shopping before coming up to Charles’ house, where I’m staying. Amelia headed off and I then pottered around, had something to eat and spoke to Gary (which was welcome). I’ve slept some and will sleep some more before brunch today. Need to find the post-jetlag fun so I can enjoy Montreal. Not there yet.