Quietish day spent ‘working’ at home. Contributed to a space opera discussion at SF Mind Meld, which will be online sometime soon. Drafted the introduction to Godlike Machines. Next story notes for the Reynolds, Egan, Baxter, and Doctorow stories, and I should probably email about cover art. The manuscript is due in New York on April 30, so we’ll have to see how that bit of tightrope walking goes. Got the contracts in the email for New Space Opera 2, which the contract says will be a July 2009 book. Can that be right? Anyhow, two stories in the door for that, one already bought. Also did some work on Wild Thyme, Green Magic: Selected Stories, which is the tentative title for the third Jack Vance book that Terry Dowling and I are collaborating on for Bill Schafer at Subterranean Press. Still trying to come up with a new project to do with Bill, just because I like working with him. What else? Had a brief chat with Jason at the Shade about publishing and its assorted joys, and a longer one with Gary Wolfe about reviewing, Locus and life. I also ducked out to pick up the mail, which had catalogues and bills in it, but no interesting books. David Hartwell has emailed that Gene Wolfe’s new novel, described as ‘Lovecraft meets Bladerunner”!!, is on its way. I’m really eager to see what it’s like.
What didn’t I do? Well, not so much reading yet, though I did just pick up Stephen Baxter’s new novel Flood, which arrived in an evidence bag(!), and opens really well. If I get a quiet evening, then I hope to make some real progress on it. I also didn’t get four story contracts out the door, so I guess that’ll be tomorrow. I also need to set myself a deadline, and get through the last 30 Eclipse 2 subs.
What am I going to do? Well, Elvis Costello is singing about useless beauty. I feel dozy, but the girls will be home in minutes, so I’ll get up shortly and start dinner. Roast chicken, which is simple. For some reason, roasting is my job, though I don’t know why. Maybe I’ll get Marianne to do the dishes
Reynolds *and* Baxter!
*swoon*
At least you didn’t go *squee*
“Also did some work on Wild Thyme, Green Magic: Selected Stories, which is the tentative title for the third Jack Vance book that Terry Dowling and I are collaborating on for Bill Schafer at Subterranean Press.”
Sounds interesting! Could you elaborate a little on what are the planned contents of the book, besides the ones deducible from the title?
Not at the moment. We’re in the middle of determining it, and there’s all sorts of contractual stuff to deal with, so there’s not much I can say right now. However, I can say it’s a selection of the best short stories that aren’t in the Treasury, as selected by Terry Dowling and I, and it should be about 120,000 wds long. I’ll be sure to post more details when I can, though.
“Green Magic” is one of my favourite Vance stories. Having been reminded of it I went to find my copy (a UK paperback of Vance stories actually called “Green Magic” if I remember correctly) but couldn’t. It’s probably in one of the 30 or so boxes in my shed, which realistically means waiting for you and Terry to get the new collection out!