Well, it’s that time of the year. Taxes are with the accountant (yay!) awaiting the bad news about how much I need to provide to Mr Rudd and his cohort (boo!). Medical stuff is proceeding (yay!) with unpleasant but probably simply precautionary tests on Monday (boo!).  And I’m going back and forth with some spam that’s killing the database for WordPress. It’s fixed again, but if the site disappears another time I might look to other options. In the meantime, I’ll keep backing up and hope all’s well.

And then there’s Eclipse Three.  The good news is that I’ve got some terrific stories in from Jane Yolen, Paul DiFilippo, Nnedi Okorafor, Elizabeth Bear, Ellen Kushner, Maureen McHugh and others. This is a major yay!! In less happy developments, it’s that time of the process and writers are starting to drop out because of life, other commitments and so on. This always happens, is always disappointing, but is always understandable.  This is art, not bricklaying, and it doesn’t always go to plan. I do have some more stories due from writers (you know who you are ), but am considering whether it’s time for a final round of invitations to complete the book. Decisions soon.

I have not been a regular correspondent here, dear blog, and it’s far from fair. The truth is, I’ve been at least temporarily seduced by Twitter. I’ve been microblogging there, chattering away about this and that, and only dropping in here rarely. I can’t promise that’ll change, but I would like it too.  Same for that Locus review project I’ve been ignoring.

So what, other than work, has been happening in my life? We’ll, we’re back at the time of the year where I spend a lot of time whining about taxes. I’m way behind on that, but I’m going to get it sorted. I’ve also had a bit of a health scare (which seems to be common in your mid-forties).  The immediate scare is gone, thankfully, and I have a test in a couple weeks to sign off with an all clear. We’ll see how that goes.

I’m also reading a bit more.  A week or so ago I received a copy of Kage Baker’s The Hotel Under the Sun from the good folk at Tachyon.  It’s a young adult/children’s book about a plucky young girl, a ghost and a one-eyed cook in a magical hotel that has risen from the distant sands of the Dunes. Not near the end yet, because I’ve been reading it aloud with Sophie. It is thoroughly charming, though. Then a couple days ago a copy of Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker fell through the post, via PNH & Liz.  It’s a rollicking steampunk advenure. I’m about a third of the way through it and loving it.

What else? I told you I’d be in Montreal for WorldCon. I’ll also be in Adelaide for the Australian NatCon in June (must tell the programming folk), and in Melbourne in August for their event. If you’re going to be there too, say hi!
That’s about it for now. I’ll try to do a ‘Books I’m Looking Forward to”, but that might be this weekend. Till then, watch the Tweets!

I’ve just updated my bibliography on the site and feel somewhat overwhelmed. I seem to be speeding up. Between 1997 and 2004 I edited two book projects. This is a little deceptive because I co-edited Eidolon from 1997-1999, and did two other books as publisher in that time. I also spent a year in California and was reviewing for Locus. Still.

Starting in 2004 I moved into anthology work seriously and between 2004 and 2008 I worked on nineteen book projects, starting with Science Fiction: Best of 2003 and ending with Eclipse Two.  That was a busy time. At the same time I took on the role of Reviews Editor for Locus, which also keeps me busy.

However, I’ve been feeling like I’m melting down a little and I now realise it’s because between 2009 and 2011 (i.e. the next two years) I have either completed or committed to completing a further twenty projects, starting with completed The New Space Opera 2 and finishing with The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Vol 5.  To add to the madness, I am currently actively developing a further three or four projects.

All of which explains the fatigue I”ve been dealing with this past few weeks. I’m really happy to have signed new contracts this past fortnight for Wings of Fire, Engineering Infinity, and two new volumes of the year’s best, but I guess I need to keep challenging myself. Onward!

The gang at Locus HQ in Oakland have posted the finalists for the 2009 Locus Awards. All sorts of friends and colleagues are shortlisted, and my sincere congratulations to all of them. I also note that Ted Chiang’s story from Eclipse Two, ‘Exhalation’ is in the Best Short Story category,  The Starry Rift and Eclipse Two are on the final ‘Anthology’ list, and I’ve made the ‘Best Editor’ list. My congratulations to Ted, whose story just won the BSFA Award and is on the Hugo Ballot this year. I’d sincerely like to thank EVERYONE who nominated ffor the Locus Awards this year, and everyone who thought work I was associated with deserved to be shortlisted. I’d also like to acknowledge that without the extraordinary work from all of the writers involved and without the incredible hard work and diligence from Sharyn November at Viking and Jason Williams (and crew) at Night Shade it would not be happening. So, my sincerest thanks to them!  It was a big year. Now I guess I better get on with finishing Eclipse Three and Starry Rift follow-up, Life on Mars.

The Ditmar nomination period is upon us. Members of the Australian science fiction community can nominate and vote for the awards.  But nominations close this weekend Monday, 4 May 2009.  I have two books eligible for the awards – Eclipse 2 and The Starry Rift. Each book contains stories that are also eligible so, if you’re eligible to nominate or vote and would like to see the books, email me and I’m happy to let you have an electronic copy of either book.  All I ask is that, if you do want a copy, that you don’t share the files.