We started work on it back in October. I spent time discussing it in Oakland, in Madison, on plane flights, in airports, and by long distance from here in Perth. We end up living with the Locus Recommended Reading list for months, but it’s finally complete, published and available online. Go check it out, and then subscribe to get the full coverage in the February issue. It’s very cool.

Via Charlie Stross, the shortlist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award has been announced, and it’s another kick-ass list:

• Kazuo Ishiguro – Never Let Me Go
• Ken MacLeod – Learning the World
• Alastair Reynolds – Pushing Ice
• Geoff Ryman – Air
• Charles Stross – Accelerando
• Liz Williams – Banner of Souls

I can’t pick a winner from the bunch, but there are some mighty fine books there, and I look forward to Adam Roberts annual overview when it comes out.

Well, today was one of those days. Dogged by a headache and other ailments, I also lacked somewhat in the sleep department, having been kept up half the night by kids. Still, we staggered on, got the kids out, and off to a place called Fun Station. They had a great time, we survived, and I think I read half a page of Charles Stross’s The Jennifer Morgue. Still, got through a couple episodes of Firefly, and will get back to the novel now. Having pretty much agreed with John Clute’s SciFi.com review of Tim Lebbon’s Dusk (I mean to post so much more about this), I think I’m abandoning it. Not its fault, but I’m not grabbed. Maybe later.  I’ve also finalised permissions and got contracts out for five of the nine novellas that’ll be in Best Short Novels: 2006.  My special thanks to all of the authors involved (you know who you are), and to Pete and Nick (for going beyond the call).

The West Australian newspaper carried a report, yesterday, that formalised something that some of us had known for a while. On Sunday, May 20 US retail chain Borders will begin its acquisition of the Western Australian book/music market with the opening of a three storey superstore on the Hay Street Mall. The new store, which will also include a coffee shop, is a short walk from two of the largest bookstore franchises in the state, Angus & Robertsons and Dymocks. I’ve only seen a limited number of Borders stores in Australia or the US, but this is the first I’ve seen that won’t have it’s own dedicated parking, which seems odd. Regardless of that, I’ll be surprised if either chainstore is still in business in 18 months, and a large number of smaller stores will also struggle. Borders have made no formal announcement, but another three stores in suburban centres have also been rumoured.

The final issue of Eileen Gunn’s fine online publication The Infinite Matrix is now online. Check it out. It has a great essay by Eleanor Arnason. On that note, is anyone ever going to do an Eleanor Arnason collection? Surely it must happen.