So, the Locus Recommended Reading List has hit the stands. I’ve been involved it compiling the list for a few years now, and this one was kind of different from previous years. Normally, CHARLES has hopped a plane from the icy climes of California and headed Down Under, and we have sat on the shores of the Indian Ocean, quaffed an ale or two, and worked together on turning recommendations, reviews, thoughts, and notes into what I think is the best annual overview of the genre published anywhere in the field. Unfortunately, health is making it harder and harder for CHARLES to fly to the other side of the world, and my commitments make it difficult for me to travel to California more than once a year, so this one was done via email and telephone. And, because I’m reading an insane amount of short fiction, the book list was largely assembled by CHARLES with the help of Amelia, while I co-ordinated the short fiction list. This is good, and bad. I LOVE the recommended reading list, and love being involved in it all. I also love needing to know about the field to have to read everything. This year I’d probably read fewer recommended novels than at any other time in the past twenty years or so, and I doubt this year’ll be much different. That said, I’m getting to know short fiction pretty well, I guess.  So, check out the list, vote in the poll, and subscribe. I know I’m biassed, but I think Locus is a pretty good ‘zine.